MOGADISHU, Somalia Mar 18 (Garowe Online) - Several of Mogadishu’s notorious ex-warlords have been invited to visit the Ethiopian capital, confidential sources said.

Four of the ex-warlords – Mohamed Qanyare, Muse Sudi Yalahow, Botan Isse and Omar Filish – are now all members of the interim Somali Parliament.

Two other ex-warlords – Mohamed “Dhere” Omar Habeb and Abdi “Waal” Nuur – hold no publicized government positions, but will travel to Addis Ababa alongside their comrades.

Sources said Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin invited the six ex-warlords to Addis Ababa after meeting with them during his unannounced trip to Mogadishu last week. [Full story]

During that meeting, the ex-warlords expressed their grievances to Foreign Minister Mesfin by accusing Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf of having the “dictator mentality,” since he did not consult with them on security affairs or the reconciliation process.

Unconfirmed reports said President Yusuf would soon fly to Addis Ababa, where Ethiopian officials would try mediate between him and the ex-warlords.

The ex-warlords were supposed to fly out of Mogadishu on Sunday but their trip got delayed for yet-unknown reasons.

Unique relationship

All six ex-warlords were members of the now-defunct Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terror (ARPCT), a CIA-financed warlord coalition that lost control of Mogadishu and south Somalia to the Union of Islamic Courts last year after heavy battles.

Following their defeat, most of the ARPCT warlords fled to Ethiopia to regroup and rebuild their forces.

In December, Ethiopian combat troops helped the Somali government defeat the Islamist movement and return the ARPCT warlords to their former strongholds.

Over the last two months, various confirmed reports said the ex-warlords were rearming themselves in Mogadishu, where the interim government maintains a fragile hold on peace in a capital that is increasingly become more violent.

Also on Sunday, suspected Islamist insurgents launched mortars and rockets on the main sea port in Mogadishu, killing civilians and wounding Ethiopian soldiers. [Full story]

Source: Garowe Online