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Mogadishu, (insidesomalia.org)- Somalia's new Prime Minister says he is willing to meet with opposition groups waging a guerrilla war against his interim government in pursuit of peace through a genuine national reconciliation process.
Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein says he supports a broad-based reconciliation process that takes into account not only Islamist rebels, but also Somaliland separatists and clan-based factions.
He maintained that he is willing to open peace talks with the opposition without any preconditions.
"I do not believe the opposition is in a position to demand Ethiopian [army] withdrawal, because the Ethiopians are here at the permission of the interim government," Prime Minister Nur Adde told Somali-language Universal TV earlier this week.
The presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia has remained the single most divisive issue in the country since December 2006 when the Ethiopian army aided Somali troops take control of Mogadishu from the Islamic Courts movement.
Mogadishu has remained a hotbed for guerrilla attacks since, with countless shootings, bombings and assassinations mostly blamed on Islamist-led resistance groups.
Prime Minister Nur Adde said his government welcomes the commencement of a regional peace process between feuding clans in the breakaway region of Somaliland and neighboring Puntland, which did not break away from Somalia but largely runs its own affairs.
Somaliland and Puntland have fought several times over control of disputed Sool and Sanaag regions, which lie along the border Somaliland leaders claim in their bid for independent statehood.
On Kismayu, the Prime Minister indicated that the southern port city is peaceful and the situation there is not as difficult as Mogadishu.
He pointed out that "local clans" have been vying for control of Kismayu for many years, but that the interim government is present there and that local reconciliation among clans is necessary.
Many say Prime Minister Nur Adde's approach to sensitive issues in Somalia is a refreshing start for President Yusuf's interim government, whose mandate expires next year.
But the government still faces major hurdles, including the Ethiopian question, a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, weak institutions and a crumbling economy.
The United Nations-recognized government must also hold the 2009 general elections, which today seems like a far-fetched dream in light of the spread of insecurity and lawlessness across Somalia.
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