Arbitration over clan deadlock

In an attempt to break the deadlock over the apportionment of clan-based parliamentary seats, Somalis at the Djibouti-hosted peace talks have set up arbitration groups, according to sources close to the conference. The Somali National Peace Conference - already given two revised finishing dates - is far behind its original schedule because of the prolonged deadlock. The 225 seats on the proposed Transitional National Assembly have been divided up between major clans, but sub-clans are struggling to divide up their quota. Only one group, “the minorities”, have succeeded in handing in a list of deputies, AFP reported. The four main clans - the Darod, the Hawiye, the Rahanwein and the Dir - are still to submit a list of names. The Rahanwein is struggling with a demand from faction leader Hassan Mohamed Nur (“Shatigudud”) to give a special quota of seats to his Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), AFP reported from Djibouti.