By EDMUND SANDERS
Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
At one designated weapons drop-off point in the Somali capital, Ethiopian soldiers milled about with little to do. A second collection site, nestled atop a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean, closed early because "no one showed up," according to a Somali government soldier.
The disarmament program is the first major test of Somalia's transitional government since its troops and Ethiopian allies defeated Islamic fighters and seized control of this capital, a city so awash with guns that most government officials were previously afraid to even visit.
Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi on Monday set a three-day deadline for gun collection, threatening to use force after that to pacify the city.
But if Tuesday's turnout was any indication, the government is facing a steep challenge in convincing Mogadishu residents to part with their weapons. The campaign is also reigniting long-standing clan rivalries and distrust, which are certain to play a big part in the nation's turnaround.
Ever since the government announced the disarmament program, the streets have been abuzz with debate over whether it will succeed. Though most support disarmament in theory, those with guns call it a Catch-22 situation: The government wants to round up weapons before dispatching more soldiers in the capital, while residents don't want to give up their guns until they are assured that troops can keep the peace.
The presence of Ethiopian soldiers, who helped chase out the Islamists, only complicates the issue. The two nations have a history of warfare, and many Somalis fear the Ethiopians are trying to occupy their country.
Others cited financial considerations. Assault rifles and machine guns in Mogadishu range in price from several hundred dollars to several thousand, representing the largest single asset many families own. For thousands of young men, carrying a gun and working as a militia member or security guard are the only job prospects available. But the government is not offering cash in exchange for the guns.
As a result, prices for weapons at Mogadishu's gun market plummeted in recent days as gun owners rush to sell their weapons rather than give them away to the government. AK-47 assault rifles dropped from $300 to $120.
Last June, the Islamic Courts became the first local authority to sharply reduce the number of arms in Mogadishu in nearly 16 years. Rather than collecting the weapons themselves, the courts set up regional, clan-based authorities to collect guns from their fellow clansmen.
But when Islamists fled Mogadishu a week ago, they opened their weapons stockpiles to the public, once again flooding the city with guns.
The disarmament campaign is sparking familiar clan distrust. Most residents in Mogadishu are members of the Hawiye clan, considered Somalia's largest. But many Hawiye subclans, including the subclans of several warlords and Islamist leaders, are deeply skeptical of the transitional government. They say it's unfair to disarm Mogadishu without also collecting the guns from the rest of Somalia. Hawiye fear they will become vulnerable to attacks by other clans.
Source: LA Times, Jan 03, 2007