European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 6, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday january 6, 1993 Somalia the stars and stripes Page 3 a Quot some gains seen As somalian talks go into second Day timely handout an emaciated somalian boy in Mogadishu receives crackers and water monday from a Marine Herman Salazar of North water Calif. The youngster wandered Over to the marines from a crowd of somalis gathered at the City s port asking for food. Addis Ababa Ethiopia a somalian warlords met for a second Day of talks tuesday seeking peace for their country where hundreds of thousands of people have died of famine caused by War and banditry. Ten groups of warlords a the largest such gathering since Somalia a disintegration a gathered under . Auspices to set up a National reconciliation conference. Four other invited groups also were in the ethiopian capital out Aid not participate in the talks expected to last two Days. Nana Sut Esria the non aligned movement representative said the warlords appeared to be making Progress. Quot but whether they be moved enough 1 done to know Quot he said adding that some groups apparently favored expanding the talks beyond the proposed conference. Quot we be been telling the Larthal new is the time to do something now that the International Community is so involved Quot Sut Resna said. Quot the Opportunity wont last forever.�?�. Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali and other officials were closeted with the factions tuesday. Boutros Ghali said monday that the gathering would try to prepare for a full fledged National reconciliation conference for Somalia where More than 350,000 people have died and 2 million Are considered at risk of starvation and disease. Somalia collapsed into clan based fief Doms following the january 1991 ouster of longtime dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. The ensuing violence throttled Relief efforts prompting a military operation to protect supplies. Boutros Ghalie a presence sparked a violent demonstration monday by students protesting . Plans to furnish observers at a forthcoming referendum on Independence for the breakaway province Eritrea. At least one person died and More than 50 were wounded in the clash with Security forces four Miles from the peace talks. Conference participants included Ali Mahdi Mohamed Somalia a self styled Quot interim president Gen Mohamed far Fah aided Mogadishu a other main warlord and col. Omar Jess a Power in the Southern port City of Kismay who is Allied with aided. Absent were the somali. Democratic salvation front which controls most of Somalia a Northeast and the somali National front drawn largely from Siad barrels clansmen who live in the Southwest near Kenya. Two other minor groups also were missing but . Officials said they met with All four groups monday and Felt it was possible All would eventually join the meetings. Aided suggested monday however that peace negotiations would fail unless Somalia a factions had an Opportunity to hold preliminary talks. Quot before we can set a Date or a venue we need to prepare the ground Quot he told reporters. Quot it is important that we somalis have time to come together and discuss things and seek a common aided also said the military coalition on the ground in Somalia should not attempt to disarm the warlords forces. The foreign troops have not attempted a widespread sweep to seize weapons despite the wishes of Many somalis and bewilder awes his former countrymen by Joseph Owen staff writer Bairoa Somalia a Many somalis tried to flee War and starvation in their country last year but for Abdul Elmi the crisis was a Cue to return Home for the first time in a decade. Elmi 23, a . Navy Boatswain a mate is in the somalian Interior City of Bairoa with the marines regimental combat team 7, and is working with the army in psychological operations. As Marine convoys deliver food to villages in the Bairoa Region Elmi using a Public address system tells villagers How to form food lines. He also translates the military a newspaper for somalis called Rajo which Means a . Citizen since 1988, Petty officer 3rd class Elmis attitudes about the disaster seem far More american than somalian. For example he places no value on clan affiliation. A the Only Way Somalia is going to help itself is if it becomes one nation instead of All these clans Quot Elmi said. A every time 1 go out into town and talk to the people the first question they ask is a what a your clan name a that a the first question. 1 Tell them in a not Uribe. In a simply somali. A _. F however Elmi has Learned he is related to a key clan figure in the country a 2-year-old civil War. Col. Omar Jess whose forces controlled the Southern port City of Kismay until . Troops arrived there last month is Elmis first Cousin. His religion also piques the locals interest. A they say a Why Are you Here with these christians. Are you Christian a Quot he remains a practising Muslim. Elmi was born in 1969, the youngest of his father s eight children by two wives in ethiopians Ogaden Region Home of Many ethnic somalis. However at that time Elmi had a different name. _ a actually i had a longer name but nobody could pronounce it Quot he said adding that a . Immigration official advised him to alter his original name Abdul Kadi Cilmi War broke out Between Somalia and Ethiopia Over the Ogaden and one result was that ethiopians shot Elmis parents to death at Home in 1977. Elmi was Home with his sister at the time but they escaped. A they were coming in the House and we left a lie every time i go out into town and talk to the people the first quest Len they ask is a what s your clan name Quot that s the first question. I Tell them in a not tribe. I m simply somali.�?T. Abdul Elmi . Navy Boatswain s mate said. A when we heard the shots we the two fled to Mogadishu Somalia a coastal capital where they lived with Elmis Brothers. He stayed there until he was 13. Then the family moved to san Jose Calif., when the . Government offered Asylum to him and two Brothers. They lived on welfare for two years. The oldest brother went to work for ism. The next one Mustafa Elmi went into the Navy and now is stationed in Naples Italy. Abdul Elmi followed joining the Navy after High school graduation in 1988. His current Home duty station is Norfolk va., where he is assigned to the amphibious assault ship Nassau. A port Call in Mombasa Kenya was the closest he had come to revisiting Somalia until now. Summoned to help with operation restore Hope because of his language skills Elmi arrived in Mogadishu on dec. 10. The Indian Ocean port once a resort with facilities comparable to Cairo Egypt now is a dangerous debris strewn disease Ridden hell. At first he was an interpreter for . Officers who met with clan leaders in the Northern part of the City. Those trips took him through the so called Quot red zone Quot a no Many a land of destroyed buildings that Mark the Boundary Between warring factions. The two family House in which he once lived with his Brothers is destroyed he said while Elmi was being interviewed in liar shia on monday outside his Stone House quarters near the City a Airfield a somalian Man who had just harvested grass to sell As fodder at the City a marketplace asked him for something to drink. Elmi gave him a half bottle of Mineral water with Orange and Cherry Flavoured powder added the Man thanked him deferentially. The marines also address Elmi with respect. A they treat me like an officer like in a somebody special he said Elmi plans to leave the Navy in four months he has passed a lest to become a Virginia state police officer and plans to enter a police Academy. But he worries that while he keeps the peace in America life in Somalia May never return to Normal. �?o1 think the first thing to do is confiscate All the weapons Here go on a House to House search Quot he said. But he added that a member of the United somali Congress a clan based organization told him that us fighters have countless weapons wrapped in plastic and buried in secret locations. A the said once we All go out a the United states a All come Back out with their weapons Quot Elmi said
