Politicians have begun the year with a peace accord – but Hussein Aydeed stays outside
A new year, a new faction agreement. On 3 January, after six weeks of pool-side discussions at the Ethiopian hot-spring resort of Sodere (AC Vol 37 No 25), leaders of 26 Somali factions created a 41-member National Salvation Council with a mandate to organise a transitional government. Sodere is the most positive step taken by Somali leaders in several years. However, even with recognition and funding, reconciliation will be extremely difficult. The NSC is headed by an eleven-person National Executive Committee (NEC) with five co-chairmen, all carefully balanced, by clan and by faction. The NSC has nine members from each of the major clan families (Darod, Hawiye, Rahenweyne and Dir) with five seats for smaller groups. The Darod have for the first time agreed to equal numbers for the main clan families.
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