One step closer to an all out war

The Islamic Courts, Transitional Government, Ethiopia and US combined forces to eliminate all obstacles to an all out war:

• UIC give one week ultimatum for all Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia
• US accused UIC of terrorism and that "the Council of Islamic Courts is now controlled by al-Qaida cell individuals, east Africa al-Qaida cell individuals"
• And finally Abdullah Yusuf, the President of the TFG declared that he is "no longer under the illusion that peace is possible with the UIC"

Talk about a coordinated effort. It seems an all out war is just round the corner, perhaps in the coming few days or weeks. One glimmer of hope is that the Transitional Government is divided on how to deal with the UIC. The speaker of the parliament, a former businessman who wasn't a warlord (that should give you a clue), has been in conflict with the president and prime minister of the TFG from the beginning, before the government even got to Somalia. He insisted the government be based in Mogadishu, despite of the warlords then, and he actually took the majority of the parliament there. Only after months of negotiations, he agreed to go to Baidao. Just last month has went to Mogadishu and held direct talks with the Islamic Courts and has reached some sort of agreement with the Islamic Courts but his effort were rejected by Abdullahi Yusuf and the Ethiopians (without offering any credible reasons). He is back at it again talking to the Islamic Courts, this time in Yemen. He can reach a deal with the UIC to avert war, the only problem is that president and prime minister (who're both personal buddies of Meles Zenawi from the time Zenawi was a refugee in Somalia) will not accept any deal.

Technocrati Tags: Africa, Somalia