Somalia Makes Peace Deal With a Militia

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somalia’s transitional leaders made important concessions toward peace on Sunday, agreeing to accept insurgent troops within their ranks and detailing a plan for a phased pullback of Ethiopian soldiers, currently the most powerful force in the country.This agreement could be an important step for chaotic Somalia, where thousands of civilians have been killed this year in vicious urban combat between, on one side, the Ethiopian troops and militia members loyal to the Somali government and, on the other, a determined Islamist insurgency. The recent fighting has compounded the country’s dire humanitarian problems, with millions of people on the brink of starvation.
In a document signed in the neighboring country of Djibouti, Somalia’s transitional government agreed to police the country jointly with an insurgent militia. Equally important, the government committed to have Ethiopian troops “relocate,” starting Nov. 21, from critical urban areas, including strategic sites in Mogadishu, the bullet-pocked capital. more..http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/27/world/africa/27somalia.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Ethiopia says will exit under Somalia peace deal

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Monday it will respect a U.N.-brokered peace deal for Somalia requiring the gradual withdrawal of its troops whose presence is the main bone of contention for opposition groups.
Somalia's government signed a ceasefire agreement with moderate leaders of the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) on Sunday after meeting an opposition demand to fix the exit of Ethiopian troops. more..http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE49Q2YG20081027?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Hard-line opposition leader rejects Somali peace deal

Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, Islamist leader of the Asmara-based hard-line faction of the opposition Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS), Monday reiterated his rejection of the ceasefire agreement signed on Sunday between the Somali transitional government and another faction of the ARS. Speaking to the local Shabelle radio, Aweys, described the deal as "betrayal," saying the agreement was "designed to undermine the Somali people." He vowed his fighters will continue attacking targets of Somali government officials and its forces and the Ethiopian troops backing it. He said that his faction will "fight on until the last Ethiopian soldier leaves Somali soil." more..http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/6522253.html