Hugh Chalmers's List: Louise

• The Warlords who were operating   in Mogadishu after the withdrawal   of UNOSOM II were finally defeated   by an alliance of Islamic Courts,   civil society groups, business community   and the general population of Mogadishu   early 2006.
• the Islamic Courts   consolidated power and control over   Mogadishu, through the establishment   of committees and created more courts   to form the Islamic Courts Union   (ICU). The ICU quickly spread its   control over most parts of the country   through conquest and intimidation.
• radical leader,   Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys,
• harsh   order to Somalia’s anarchic   political landscape.
• The TFG and the TFIs   gained broad acceptance and recognition   by Somalis and made considerable   progress in the areas of political   institutionalization, especially   the establishment and approval of   the National Reconciliation Council,   NSSP, as well as establishment of   the Supreme Court, and regional   and district councils.
• lack of institutional capacity and   inadequate resources and external   assistance to the TFIs.
• Regional and local governing bodies,   based on clan lines, each with its   own security system, therefore continued   to control various cities and regions   in the country. Most significant   of these were the warlords that   controlled and terrorized inhabitants   of Mogadishu.
• The ICU emerged   as a major player in Somali politics   alongside the TFG, establishing   itself as the new reality that controlled   Mogadishu and increasing its sphere   of influence
• Sharia law
• TFG Cabinet was   dissolved and new Ministers appointed   in August 2006.
• Perceived interferences by some   frontline states in the Somali Peace   Process, contributed to unnecessary   tension and mistrust between the   TFG and the ICU. Both sides claim   the involvement of external players   and countries in providing military   and other support to one side or   the other. While the TFG claims   that there are international terrorist   within the ICU with support from   some countries including Eritrea;   the ICU on the other hand alleges   the deployment of Ethiopian forces   is in support of the TFG.
• UN Security Council Resolution   1725, adopted on 6th December 2006
• the TFG and supported by Ethiopian   troops launched a massive offensive   against the ICU forces on 25th December   and effectively dislodged them from   all their strongholds by 1st January   2006.
• After the defeat of the ICU,   some of their fighters abandoned   their uniforms and rejoined their   clans while others withdrew towards   the Kenyan border. The ICU undertook   to launch guerrilla attacks against   the Ethiopian troops within Somalia   and elsewhere until they withdrew   from the country.

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• Ethiopia's policy towards Somalia
• an expansionist   policy,
• Somalia had always allied   with all groups and countries it believed were anti-Ethiopian and had   disturbed Ethiopia's peace
• omalia had succeeded   in mobilizing a large number of Ethiopian Somalis as allays in its attempt   to execute its expansionist policy. In this regard Ethiopia has been exposed   to threats emanating from Somalia and other quarters.
• he   policy was to respond to Somali aggression by taking the war to Somalia   and, along the way, aggravating the contradiction between the Somali clans.
• The situation has now   fundamentally changed.
• Ethio-Somalis are,   in the spirit of equality, democracy, development and an Ethiopian identity,   resting on strong foundations and contributing to the building of the   country. Ethiopia's vulnerability to the "Greater Somalia" ideology   has been greatly diminished.
• Somalia   has become a haven and conduit for terrorists and extremists.
• The   crisis in Somalia has allowed religious extremism to take hold
• Somalia's disintegration has brought danger   to the peace in our country.

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• The UN Security Council Resolution 1725, adopted on 6th December 2006
• Addis Ababa, 18 December 2006
• meeting reviewed the critical situation obtaining in Somalia and discussed the ur- gent steps

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• "Better Off Stateless: Somalia Before and After Government Collapse."

• December 2006
• tense military stand-off involving the TFG and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC)
• extremist Islamic elements
• prolonged drought followed by floods
• 160,000 Somali refugees in northern Kenya alone and 400,000 internally displaced in Somalia
• t has also denounced Ethiopian support for the TFG. Ethiopia accuses the UIC of expansionism and harbouring extremists.
• Addis Ababa now acknowledges having deployed a few hundred military trainers to assist the TFG. Independent observers estimate that Ethiopia has in fact sent thousands of troops and amassed thousands more on its side of the border
• At the time of writing, there were fresh reports of increased military movement among UIC, TFG and Ethiopian contingents near Baidoa.
• IGASOM deployment may in fact step up the TFG's fragmentation and collapse.
• Djibouti, Eritrea, Libya, Egypt, Hezbollah, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria provided arms, funds and/or training for the UIC,
• Ethiopia, Uganda and Yemen allegedly provided arms, funding and/or troops to the TFG and warlords.
• UIC-TFG talks scheduled for 30 October were cancelled
• ome believe that the UIC is a potential danger, as it is reportedly affiliated with terrorist networks.
• UIC/TFG power-sharing

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• Ethiopian government said Sunday its troops have launched a counter attack against Islamist forces in Somalia
• in Beledweyne, Bandiradley, Bur Hakaba and Dinsoor
• Beledweyne and Kalaberka
• Ethiopian-backed Somali troops on Sunday recaptured the town of Idale
• killed civilians
• The Islamists have declared jihad, or holy war, against Ethiopian soldiers
• Ethiopia has denied deploying combat troops to Somalia, but admitted sending several hundred military advisers and trainers to help the government at its base Baidoa
• UN report into the violations of the 1992 arms embargo on Somalia accused Ethiopia of sending 8,000 troops into Somalia.

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