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Statement

We are coming to the final phase of the operation of Somalia in which both the Transitional Federal Government forces and also the Ethiopian forces are engaging...

The situation of Mogadishu - it is over for about the last 24 hours. We stopped it for Eid when there was no operation at all. Probably, during that day some people started looting or maybe some children and woman they started firing some tyres and showing some kind of opposition. But there was no opposition to Ethiopian forces or the Somali security. But some media they actually reported that. The reason was that they said there is some insecurity now and we need the forces to come immediately to our side. And they were showing some sign of urgency to call those people to Mogadishu

Now, as I speak to you now, and since early morning yesterday, Mogadishu is totally under control. Today there is no problem whatsoever in Mogadishu and the reason Mogadishu is fallen into the government hands is very simple. The President and the Prime Minister, they called a meeting with the women groups, business communities, elders, religious communities, tribal leaders and other intellectuals outside Mogadishu. And then the government said "We are here. Tell us what to do from now. And we would like as a government to listen to you as you are the people of Mogadishu." And that is why they have agreed the timetable. For example, they said the security forces should go into Mogadishu in designated areas - for example the airport, the sea port, the military bases in Mogadishu, all the police headquarters in Mogadishu and also where the market is in order to protect the people's business. And exactly as they have instructed, the security forces moved in.

In the second phase they said, "What we are going to do is now - the people of Mogadishu will hand over the weapons." And the government designated two areas - one called Hilwene which is the north side of Mogadishu and the other camp where people should deposit their ammunition and weapons is Lantapuro which is the south side of Mogadishu. Both of them are about 30km south and north of Mogadishu. And the people, as we speak to you this morning, are starting to deposit their weapons there. Other things they agreed yesterday was to reintegrate those security forces ex-military, ex-police and ex-security forces to register so that they can participate in the ongoing operation. Probably they will eventually be the security forces of the government.

These people are the people that the Islamic Courts neglected. Bearing in mind that the Islamic Courts refused to allow those people to be part of the process. Now the elderly, the business community, the intellectuals, the farmers - they advise the government to reintegrate these people into the government. Because this is the right time for these people to secure the country, since they are the ex-military and ex-police. So that is what happened yesterday.

The other thing was the government announced again, the President announced forgiveness. He said we completely forgive even the Islamic Union Courts or any other people if they are willing to lay down their arms and forces and stop the hostilities. And then if they have any disagreement, they come to sit with us and talk. Now that is exactly what is happening.

Now the security forces immediately left Mogadishu. They went to Marka, they went to Coriole, they went to Barave and then they went Jilip where they at last met some of the defense of the remaining Islamic Union Courts. As you know, Mogadishu up to Jilip is about 380km. So obviously there is no resistance, there is no Islamic Union Courts between Mogadishu up to Jilip.

Now, last night, the pro-government people in Jilip started organising themselves and then they started attacking behind from the Islamic Union Courts. And they could not now resist in Jilip and they fled from Jilip and Kismayo and they went to Afmedu, very very near to the border with Kenya. And that is as far as we know. They disappeared into the bush. Afmedu is a very small village and still the forces are pursuing.

So, obviously there are no casualties so far among civilians or our security forces. There is no infrastructure damage at all. We have never seen this kind of war. And obviously you have been reporting wars for many years and you have witnessed wars. But this one, it is carefully coordinated and we know our people on the ground. Wherever we go, we go on the advice and willingness of that particular people and that particular region. We will never engage in a war where we know there is a resistance of the people and that is the reason behind the success you can see. And obviously, from Puntland all the way to Kismayo as we speak now is controlled and secured. Within the next few days we will root out from our borders, or capture.

The only problem we are facing - we don't know what is happening yet on the coast side. You are well aware we have the longest coast in Africa. There was news of Eritreans running away in boats - although I don't have confirmation of that yet. The coast is still open and we do not yet have sufficient forces to guard the Indian Ocean. So we have made a request to other international countries and organisations who are capable of doing that.

What I can say is that up to Kismayo, it is in the hands of the government with the help of the people and from now on, within the next couple of days, the operation of the military will be over. After the forces have pacified this area, the next stage will be political and all reconciliation and talking will start inside Somalia.

I can confirm to you that there is no Khartoum talks any more. Any talking will take place inside Somalia. The reconciliation process will go on but it will be within Somalia. No reconciliation or dialogue will take place outside the country.

I am now willing to take your questions.

Q: What is the Transitional Government going to do now to ensure that a power vacuum doesn't open up again? People are talking about insurgents coming back. How can you ensure that that won't happen?

Number 1 - there are security forces in every city , in every village and every town. I have just come back from Somalia. I have witnessed this. I have been to places where I have never been before. That shows that security now permits us to move around. It is the security forces' responsibility. There is no vacuum. And obviously that is a priority and we are not going to compromise. No vacuum again. And obviously that is something we have planned.

Q: Can you confirm that the Americans are helping you to control the sea shores?

We can not confirm that to you. But the Americans are obviously helping us in terms of political will, making sure that the dialogue has to be open. Also, you've heard the security council - what has happened. They recognise that this is a Transitional Federal Government. But they are not helping us militarily or by any other means. But we have requested - not just the Americans - we have requested the French, we requested all other countries to help us to control the sea shores.

Q: What about the Puntland and the Somaliland issue?

Number 1 - we have to be very careful what we are saying here. Somalia is one country. It has been recognised by the UN as one country. It has been recognised by the AU as one country. It is recognised by the Arab League as one country. So there is no two Somalias, there is one Somalia.

Number 2 - Because of Somalia's history, some administrations have been built up to form their own administrations. Now, when it comes to Puntland, they never declared they are independent from Somalia. They said they are part of the Transitional Federal Government and their security forces are now part of the TFG and they helped us make a counter attack all the way from Puntland all the way to Hiransa. SO obviously we are one. And out President Abdullah Yusuf, he came from Puntland, so there is no misunderstanding at all.

Now, when it comes to Somaliland, we must respect Somaliland, what they have achieved for the last 16 years. Now, we need to make sure that stability and development, they carry on in Somaliland in Hargeisa. We need to respect that. And we don't want to endanger it at all. Now, once we solve the problem of the South and we pacify and we make sure that everything is OK, then we will sit with the Somalilanders. We are preparing to talk with them.

So, I am not telling you how those talks will be or how they will end. But we will engage with the Somalilanders to sit with them and start talking. The circumstances have never allowed this before. And even as we are sitting here, we are not ready yet. But let's sort it out - the South first and then we will sit with them. I will answer your question about Somaliland at that time.

Q: How much longer will you need Ethiopian forces to be inside Somalia?

As long as the situation of the country - as you asked me earlier - we don't want a vacuum at all. So, if they come out today - and you know a lot of international organisations, a lot of international terrorists, even other countries involved now in Somalia. If the Ethiopian forces came out now it would be unjustified, really, unwise, now. So, for the Ethiopians to come out, there are two options. There must be IGASOM to deploy immediately so there is no vacuum there, or the Ethiopians will remain with us. Keep in mind - Ethiopia came motivated by their own self--defense, but we also requested them to come. So now, our two governments, they have very close contacts with these issues. It is up to both the Ethiopian ans Somali government to make a decision when the Ethiopians come out. But, as far as the international community is concerned, they must also make it, either IGA-SOM or IGA-African Union forces to movbe into Somalia. Then there will not be a vacuum. Because we can not make all these efforts that we have made for the Ethiopians to come out tomorrow, then the Somalis can start all again. That is unwise.

Ethiopia will stay there as long as they are finalising. But still they are pursuing terrorists. There are still some jobs to do. SO, let's wait until that's finished And then, obviously we will see what happens after that.

Q: Now that the military action is effectively over, when are you going to set up a permanent institution in Mogadishu?

The institutional set-up is there. It's just the implementation. now we are in Mogadishu - not politically but militarily. But we are waiting until the security forces say that it is pacified. They can not pacify without talking and engaging with the local community. So that is the stage we are in now.

Q: There are allegations that the Islamic Courts have distributed weapons to the youth and things could become unsettled. When are you going to start disarmament?

We re not going to disarm anyone by force. Those youths who got some ammunition and armament from the Islamic Union Courts, they are turning those arms into the government, voluntarily, through their parents, through their community leaders, through intellectuals. So there is no disarmament by force. As we speak to you now, we have already started receiving some weapons from the youth.

Q: I have been to Somalia myself. I was traveling with the Ethiopian and TFG soldiers. But I didn't see big resistance after Baidoa. And the people were very enthusiastic. How are you going to harmonise the remaining sympathisers of UIC?

Thanks you very much for your question and I am very glad that you are here now since you come from Baidoa. Have you been to Borahakabar? [Yes] Have you seen how many dead bodies are there? [I have seen.] It's well over 3,000. [Even more] Even more, thank you. Those dead bodies are the people either forced, brain-washed or are foreigners. So, each and every family in Mogadishu are victims of the Islamic Courts and they are sympathising with the TFG. Now, what we are going to do is that we are going to talk to the people themselves and we will ask what kind of administration they want. How they want it. We are taking their advice. They are intellectuals. They are elders. We need to have their acceptance. And that is how we are taking the peace process forward, and that is hoe we are going to take the government inside Mogadishu and any other region of Somalia. It is for the people now to chose who is going to lead at the local level, because this is federal government. People must choose their own leaders. From now until 2009, we have got a massive job to do. Even those people who are elected now are only temporary. So we, are going to have another election in 2009 in which we will allow some parties to register.

Q: I have also seen so many foreigners who have been killed there - mostly Arabs from Yemen and Sudan especially. And there were some others also. How are you doing to deal with these people?

We have very difficult legal issues because, as you are well aware, the TFG was in Baidoa and we didn't have all our legal institutions. But we have got, as Somalia, extradition agreements with many countries before. And we need to make sure that those countries, with whom we have extradition agreements, when we capture their forces, we need to make sure how we are going to agree with these countries. The other thing is that, all those foreigners that we have captured, we are not saying that they are representing their countries. They are international jihadists. They are working through their own free will. But we still have a duty to talk to their own countries. In the meantime we have obligations to hold them in Somali prisons and then we will see what the law says from there. But there are so many people who have been captures and so many people who have been killed.

Q: How many people have been captured?

A lot and it still continues, [Can you give us a figure?] I can not give you any figure because I do not have one myself. But it is a lot. Some people have run away and got lost. Then they are turning themselves into the security forces. So many are dead and so many are on the run. We don't want to use a figure now.

Q: What about the numbers of casualties and dead?

Over 5,000 have been killed. But I don't have figures for wounded. This is the only war that I have seen where the casualties and dead have only been suffered by one side - the UIC.