19 May 2007 04:15 SOMALIA WATCH |
| SW News | ||
Wednesday, 18 October, 2000, 14:07 GMT 15:07 UK
Somali peace supporter killed
Scene of the killing: Mogadishu's Kilometre Four
A supporter of the peace process
in Somalia has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the
capital, Mogadishu.
The man, Yusuf Talan, had been a general in the army during the presidency of Mohammed Siad Barre a decade ago. He had recently returned from neighbouring Djibouti, where he had been a delegate at the Somali peace conference - and had been appointed to a committee to oversee the demobilisation of militias in Somalia.
Correspondents say it is not clear what the motive was. Mr Talan was shot at a junction known as Kilometre Four when he refused to get into a vehicle carrying a group of gunmen. Warlord defects His killing represents the second serious setback in Somalia's process of reconciliation in less than a week. Earlier the leader of Somalia's Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), Hassan Mohamed Nur Shargudud, said he no longer recognises the authority of the transitional parliament in which he was allotted a seat. The RRA - which controls the important southern town of Baidoa - had previously declared its loyalty to the transitional government which was elected at the Djibouti conference. Hassan Mohamed Nur Shargudud is widely reported to enjoy the support of Somalia's powerful neighbour Ethiopia - though Addis Ababa has always denied supporting the RRA. Hundreds of people in the area controlled by the RRA faction have demonstrated in protest at the leader's decision.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Story Filed: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:05 AM EST MOGADISHU (Oct. 18) XINHUA - A well-known senior Somali national military officer General Yussuf Tallan Ali was shot dead by unidentified Somali gunmen in southern Mogadishu on Wednesday. About four gunmen driving a white Toyota Corolla car stopped the general who was leaving Sahafi hotel together with other dozens of delegates to the Djibouti peace conference, eyewitnesses said. The eyewitness who asked not to be named said the gunmen, three of them, ordered the general to come with them in their car, but he refused. Then, the gunmen opened fire at Tallan. More than nine bullets hit the general in his head and chest before he fell on the ground unconsciously. Several people rushed to the seriously bleeding general and took him to Medina Hospital where his death was officially announced moments later. The gunmen have fled the scene immediately, but the area where the shooting took place has been controlled by faction leader Hussein Mohamed Aidid. The tension rose in the area where the killing took place and no faction leader has so far claimed the responsibility. General Tallan, was among the delegates who attended the Djibouti sponsored peace process for Somalia held in Arta district, about 35 kilometers west of Djibouti. Iddiris Hassan Diriyeh, press secretary of the prime minister' s office, described the killing of Tallan as tragic and criminal. Iddiris told reporters that his
government has sent a message of condolence to the family of the
deceased and the security around those hotels will be tightened.
The funeral of Tallan is going to take place here later Wednesday.
Copyright XINHUA NEWS AGENCY _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Delegate to Djibouti process killed in Mogadishu NAIROBI, 18 October (IRIN) - A delegate to the Djibouti peace process and supporter of the new government, General Yusuf Talan - who represented the Gadabursi sub-clan of the Dir group - was killed at "Kilometer 4" square, near the Sahafi hotel, where a number of the recently-arrived MPs are staying. According to sources in Mogadishu, Talan was sitting at a popular tea shop when men in a white Toyota Cressida drove by and opened fire. Talan died on the spot. No one has claimed responsibility, but a Mogadishu businessman told IRIN there was an assumption that the killers were allied to one of the opposition faction leaders. The government has made no statement regarding the attack. Talan attended the Djibouti-hosted peace talks and was a member of the committee on disarmament. [ News] |
||
