New president asks for peace

Somalia’s newly elected president, Abdiqasim Salad Hasan said the country’s “warlords” should abide by the wishes of the people, who wanted peace and stability. Speaking in an interview with the BBC on Thursday, he added that he was not worried about them being opposed to his new interim administration. Speaking from the capital, Mogadishu, he said his first priority would be to ensure the safety and security of every Somali. He said the militias should be retrained and provided the skills to earn a living. On the self-declared regions of Puntland and Somaliland, whose leaders boycotted the Djibouti-hosted peace process and do not recognise the election of Abdiqassim, he reiterated the sanctity of Somalia unity. Asked about his prominent profile under former president Muhammad Siyad Barreh, he said most politicians, military men and intellectuals had served under him, including those who were now criticising him. He also said he planned to visit Kismayo, Belet-weyn, and Baidoa. He denied there were security problems in Kismayo, and said he had received invitations from Kismayo to visit the contested southern port.