Mogadishu caretaker mayor vows to pacify city

Mogadishu caretaker mayor vows to pacify city
MOGADISHU, Aug. 5 (Medeshi) -- Mohamed Osman Ali, the newly appointed caretaker mayor of Mogadishu, in his first public address Tuesday since his nomination, said he will work to pacify the capital and help return the displaced people of the city to their homes.

"It is impossible for the suffering of the people to continue, they deserve to come back to their homes," Ali told hundreds of residents who rallied in support of him and the Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein.

Nearly a million of the residents of the Somali capital were displaced from their homes following fierce clashes between insurgent and Ethiopian troops and Somali government forces that have been raging since early 2007. The displaced civilians live in camps on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

"We will also open all the streets in the capital that are now closed. There is no reason the street should be closed," said the new mayor, who was accompanied by his deputies.

Somali Prime Minister dismissed Mohamed Omar Habeeb, a close ally of the Somali president, as mayor of Mogadishu and Governor of Banadir region around the capital last week. Hussein accused the former mayor of embezzlement, insubordination, abuse of power and failure to bring peace to the Somalia capital.

Mogadishu has been the scene of fierce violence since Ethiopian troops backing Somali government forces ousted an Islamist administration that had been in control in much of southern and central Somalia.

The group had largely brought stability in areas they controlled but was accused by Ethiopian and Somali government of challenging the government authority and of threatening the national security of Ethiopia.
The United States said the Islamist movement harbored al-Qaida operatives who have been behind the 1998 east African U.S. embassy bombing.
Nearly 11 cabinet members have resigned over the sacking of the former Mogadishu mayor, who claimed to have been reinstated in a letter by the president, who has not officially spoken about the row, but is said to be not pleased with the prime minister's decision.
Thousands of Mogadishu residents and the displaced people on its outskirts took to the streets in support of the Prime Minister' s decision to sack the mayor who was said to be heavy handed in his tactics.