SOMALIA: GENERAL MORGAN PLANS TO RECAPTURE KISMAYO

(23 Nov 1999) English/Nat A prominent Somali warlord has announced he plans to recapture Somalia’s third city after losing it to rival ethnic clans earlier this year. General Morgan lost Kismayo in June after occupying the southern port for six years. The loss came as neighbouring Ethiopia and Eritrea began exporting their own border war into Somalia by supporting rival clans there. Somalia has been without central government since guerrillas toppled the late President Siad Barre in January 1991. Since then the former state has been carved up into the fiefdoms of various clan-based leaders. In June General Morgan, who was once Somalia’s defence minister under Barre, lost the port city of Kismayo to a group of clans allied to faction leader Hussein Aideed. SOUNDBITE: (English) “Kismayo was captured by allies, so called allies which composes of Aideed forces, Omar Haji forces and also some other al-Ithad groups which are now controlling Kismayo, but they are only controlling Kismayo city and not all the regions. So the situation is still critical and still there is fighting going on, especially in the south, so the situation is not improved yet.“ SUPER CAPTION: General Morgan Islamic courts in Somalia are in charge of restoring law and order in Mogadishu and Merca and are taking power away from warlords like Hussein Aideed. They allow civilians to enjoy a rare sense of security but they are also very harsh. SOUNDBITE: (English) “Islamic courts, I mean Somalia has no government. There is no constitution so the court is, the court is illegal.“ SUPER CAPTION: General Morgan Morgan is now looking for the support of both the Ethiopians and the Kenyans to help him regain Kismayo. The two countries, which are Somalia’s neighbours, are concerned at the violence spilling over their borders. Ethiopia, which is fighting a border war with Eritrea, is also supporting a variety of clans who choose to oppose Eritrea. SOUNDBITE: (English) “Our means to re-take or bring back Kismayo? I think we have to find the best way to get Kismayo back so I will say we are working out, but I don’t think that... I cannot say by negotiation or by force, but the main thing is to just to bring Kismayo back.“ SUPER CAPTION: General Morgan Morgan claims that Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden - wanted by the United States for his alleged role in the Kenyan and Tanzanian embassy bombings - is financing his rivals. SOUNDBITE: (English) “Bin Laden is the one who is financing the... forces so we do have, bin Laden is the one thing that is really causing the problems in Somalia through the religion way.“ SUPER CAPTION: General Morgan When war broke out at the end of President Siad Barre’s rule in 1991 many Somalis left for their home areas to seek safety from their clans. General Morgan believes that those clans occupying the ancestral lands of rival clans will have to hand them back if peace is ever to be established. But Morgan says he is opposed to the break up of Somalia into several sovereign states and says it should become a federal state. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: