Two people were killed and five others wounded when gunmen loyal to a Somali political faction battled supporters of the new government in the south-central town of Baidoa, the speaker of parliament said Sunday.
Abdalla Deerow Issak, who comes from the area, said the fighting late on Saturday was between supporters of newly created government and forces of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), which is opposed to the new administration.
Issak, a former RRA official who has fallen out with his erstwhile allies, accused the RRA of trying to "suppress the freedom of political choice".
But the RRA governor of the Bay region, where Baidoa is situated, dismissed Issak's allegation as "nonsense" and for his part accused Issak's supporters of engaging in "warlike activities".
"No politically-motivated skirmish took place here, but the RRA is obliged to combat banditry and violence engineered by people who don't care about the well-being of Baidoa," Qalinle said.
"The so-called government in Mogadishu is determined to destabilize our country," he added.
A reconciliation process brokered by neighboring Djibouti culminated in the establishment of a government in Somalia, which has been ruled by feuding warlords since the overthrow of former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.
The peace process led first to the creation of a transitional assembly in August, then the appointment of the speaker, the nomination of President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan, and to appointment of Ali Khalif Galaydh as prime minister.
Galaydh has since formed a cabinet.
Most of the armed faction leaders have opposed the reconciliation process from the outset and do not recognize the posts that emerged from it, warning that the whole endeavor will just lead to further bloodshed -- MOGADISHU (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
