RRA faction imposes condition for attending conference

The Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) faction of Shaykh Aden Madobe and Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade - whose forces are in control of the southwestern town of Baidoa - will not attend the Eldoret peace conference unless they are given all the delegates assigned to the RRA, an official spokesman told IRIN on Monday.

Ali Margus, a close ally of the Shaykh Adan Madobe, said that "there is only one RRA and we represent it. We will not accept two RRA lists."

Margus said the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) technical committee had allotted the RRA 28 seats in the conference and divided those up into two, "giving us 14 and [RRA Chairman] Col Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud 14".

"We sent the chairman of the committee, Mr [Elijah] Mwangale a letter on 11 October to express our displeasure, but have so far received no response," he said.

"Nobody knows this new wing of the RRA at this point, and they need the opportunity of exposure more than anyone else," a source close to the organisers of the talks told IRIN. "It is to their advantage to show flexibility, and seize the opportunity to meet other Somalis and the international community."

Fighting first broke out in Baidoa on 1 July between the rival forces in an apparent power struggle. Forces loyal to Shatigadud's two deputies and rivals for power - Shaykh Adan Madobe, the RRA first vice-chairman, and the second vice-chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade - seized control of the town on 3 October from Shatigadud loyalists, who had been in control of Baidoa since 31 July.

Meanwhile, renewed fighting broke out in Buur Hakaba, the second most important town in the area, after it came under attack by Shatigadud forces on Sunday morning, Margus told IRIN.
He said at least five people died in the attack. "The attackers have been repulsed and we are in total control of Buur [Hakaba]," he added.