London BBC World Service “Focus on Africa” program (in English) — 1730 GMT

In the face of growing anarchy in Mogadishu and following the refusal of many rebel groups to attend peace talks in Cairo, the Somali Government has speeded up the country’s return to multiparty democracy. It brought forward by two months the introduction of a multiparty system and already, a new group called the Youth Organization for Unifying Somali People has announced its formation. However, the rebel Somali National Movement has rejected the move, saying that true democratic parties can only be established after the overthrow of President Siad Barre. But where does this all leave a rebel group like the Somali Salvation Democratic Front, SSDF, who said they were willing to attend the Cairo peace talks? On the line to Nairobi, Barney Mthombothi asked Hassan Ali Mireh, a leader of the SSDF, if they would now be going home to register as a party:

[Begin recording]

[Mireh] Oh, no, we do not believe that sort of multipartyism. This is putting the cart before the horse, really. You know, there is no peace in the country. There is no security. Even in the capital, the fighting is going on daily, let alone the regions. How can you have parties in that sort of situation, really?

[Mthombothi] What do you want the government to do?

[Mireh] Well, we want this Cairo conference. That thing was supposed to be, you know, the real thing for discussion for real reconciliation, for dialogue. Dialogue comes and reconciliation comes before parties. This is preempting the conference, you know, the very purpose of this conference, and we feel that this is a cheap way, really, of sabotaging the Cairo conference. This is not the real purpose of a party or anything.

[Mthombothi] But is it not the fact that what you want is what the government has offered, which is a multiparty system where all groups will be free to campaign for their point of view?

[Mireh] How free can you be? A party is not the capital alone. You have to go around the country. The government does not rule the country as a whole. You know, the fighting is going on. There is no security in the country. Where in the world is party or elections conducted in a country where there is no safety? The minimum requirement of a government to rule a country is to provide security for the lives and property of the people, and this does not exist. So, talking about a party to me it seems. you are putting the cart before the horse.

[Mthombothi] Yes, but the government has said through the minister of interior, Mr. Hassan, that it is prepared to talk to any group, any time, anywhere, even under a tree. Why do you not actually take them on their challenge?

[Mireh] Well, we were not talking to the government. There is no government in Somalia at the moment, in the real meaning of the word. Plenty of governments have invited the opposition and the regime in Mogadishu, both of them, to meet in Cairo. You know, to show good faith, we have accepted that offer. But Siad Barre, for his own purposes, is always, you know, like a magician pulling out new tricks out of the hat, you know, and all of a sudden he sabotages the meeting and the people who were supposed to attend were arrested, as you remember.

[Mthombothi] Is it not true that you are actually scared of going back to Somalia because you know very well that you do not actually have the support of the people and that you will actually be exposed for having no support at all if you go back and submit yourself to elections?

[Mireh] I do not think after 20 years of dictatorial rule Siad Barre can dare really say that he has support and that we do not have it. That is really imaginary, you know. Siad Barre has no support, he has no confidence in the people. His trust is in the gun.

[Mthombothi] Well. Mr. Ali Mireh, if you are not going to take the president’s challenge, there are other people who are actually coming forward. For instance, there is the new movement that has been formed in Mogadishu called the Youth Organization for Unifying Somali People, which has actually declared that it is going to take part in the multiparty system.

[Mireh] Let them take part in it and see where they can get. Can they go 40 miles out of the capital? They cannot. Where can they go?

[End recording]

_{FBIS-AFR-90-249, 27 Dec. 1990, pp. 14-15}