Addis Ababa, October 09, 2007 (WIC) - Somalia's Prime Minister has reached a truce with Mogadishu's dominant clan, some of whose fighters had supported Islamist-led insurgents in battles with government troops and Ethiopian forces earlier this year, Reuters reported.
Hawiye clan elders met Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi on Monday in the capital.
Speaking after the talks, Gedi said the clan leaders would now work with his administration to take on the insurgents.
"We agreed a truce and we agreed that we do something about their complaints...
We agreed we work together against anyone carrying out violence," Gedi told reporters late on Monday.
Responding to accusations that government troops have been heavy-handed in their hunt for rebels, Gedi called on his army officers to control their men, whom he said should perform their duties with respect and discipline.
Mogadishu has been relatively calm in recent days and the outcome of Gedi's meeting with the clan leaders was eagerly anticipated by many war-weary residents, according to the news agency.
Hawiye spokesman Ahmed Diriye told Reuters the government and insurgents both had a responsibility to end the clashes.
"If the truce gets enforced, I do hope that all people who have political agendas on their mind, opposing the government, will compromise with it," he said.
Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Dheere praised the new accord.
Source: Walta Information Center
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