Somali Islamists say
Ethiopian withdrawal prior to peace talks
Wednesday 31 January 2007
Somali version:: Halkan ka
akhri....
Jan 30, 2007 (MOGADISHU) – The Union of the Islamic
Courts reject to hold talks with Ethiopia as long as its
troops remain in Somalia. They further said that one of
their leader went Nairobi at the request of the US
Ambassador in the neighboring country.

Sheikh Shariif
Sheikh Axmed |
Sheikh Sharrif Sheikh
AhmedMustafa Ahmed, adviser to Sheikh Sharif Sheikh
Ahmed, a leader of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC),
has told the Spanish daily La Razon that his
organization will not negotiate with Ethiopia as long as
its troops remain in Somalia. Ahmed called on the USA to
stop bombarding the country and denied the UIC had any
links to Al-Qaeda.
He reaffirmed the position of the UIC in favor of
peaceful negotiations with all the concerned sides from
the EU, USA and the Somali government. He further added
that the starting of the talks is subjected to the
withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops from the country.
“The UIC was the first to recognize the legitimacy of
the transitional government, and our position has not
changed. I repeat: we are open to dialogue and to
cooperating in the process of national reconciliation.”
On the other hand, The EU commissioner for development
and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, and Somali President
Abdullahi Yusuf in a meeting held today in Addis Ababa
agreed that the national reconciliation process should
be attended by tribal leaders, religious leaders as well
as political groups in Somalia in order to overcome 16
years of political crisis. But President Abdullhai told
the press he will not hold any talks with those who were
behind political problems.
The following is an excerpt from a report and interview
by the Spanish newspaper La Razon web site on 30
January:
Mogadishu: Mustafa Ahmed, 38, is the adviser to Sheikh
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, one of the two heads of the
executive committee of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC]),
the other is Hassan Dahir Aweys, chairman of the
legislative council. Ahmed, a moderate like Sheikh
Sharif, now lives in hiding in Mogadishu, like many
other Islamist combatants who did not leave the capital
after Ethiopian troops helped the transitional
government to retake the country and cornered the
Islamic Courts’ militias in Kismayo, near the Kenyan
border. La Razon interviewed Ahmed in a hotel room in
Mogadishu.
ETHIOPIAN SHOULD WITHDRAW FIRST
Is there any truth in the rumors that Sheikh Sharif is
being held in Nairobi (Kenya) and interrogated by the
USA?
Ahmed: No. That report is totally false. Sheikh Sharif
went to Nairobi at the request of the US ambassador,
Michael Ranneberger, with whom he is discussing the
situation and the future of Somalia.
Could you give me any details of the conversations?
Ahmed: The only thing I can say is that there are no
results as yet. They are still meeting. Personally I
trust in our leader and I know he will be able to lead
the Americans along the path of dialogue and
understanding. The council of the Islamic Courts is in
favor of peaceful dialogue and negotiations with all
sides - the USA, the EU and the Somali transitional
government - but we won’t negotiate with Ethiopia while
its army remains in our country. This condition is
unchangeable. The UIC was the first to recognize the
legitimacy of the transitional government, and our
position has not changed. I repeat: we are open to
dialogue and to cooperating in the process of national
reconciliation.
WE HAVE NO LINK WITH AL-QAEDA
What conditions will you require of the USA if an
agreement is reached?
Ahmed: Firstly, to stop bombarding the country. We
invite them to come here and see the reality. The US
government is making a mistake, because it receives the
wrong information. There are no Al-Qaeda fighters in
Somalia, nor does the UIC have links to that
organization. We have weapons which reach us through
different channels. We don’t need Al-Qaeda to arm us,
nor do we accept its modus operandi. Our struggle is for
the dignity of the Somali people. That is why we call on
the USA to put pressure on the UN for a national
reconciliation conference to be held in Somalia.
Would you be prepared to accept the intervention of the
African Union (AU) peace troops?
Ahmed: Of course: we want there to be peace in the
country, although I don’t think it is the solution.
There has also been a mission by UN blue helmets, and no
progress has been seen to date. In order for there to be
stability, all the factions will have to be integrated
into the government, and we are also part of this
government, even though they’ve tried to marginalize us.
"JIHAD" AGAINST ETHIOPIA
What measures will you take if Ethiopian troops do not
leave the country as the Ethiopian government has
promised?
Ahmed: If the Ethiopian army continues to occupy the
country and the pledge it made to the transitional
government is not respected, we shall carry on with the
"jihad" against Ethiopia. We shall not give up the armed
struggle until there is not a single Ethiopian soldier
left in the country. We’ve withdrawn the militias from
the capital to prevent more civilian deaths, but this is
only a change of strategy.
Will the civilian population go on supporting the
Islamic Courts?
Ahmed: The Somalis have supported us because the UIC has
brought safety to Mogadishu. We’ve worked to rebuild
homes and clean the streets of the capital. Thanks to
us, people can walk freely without fear of violence. We
brought stability and we put an end to the warlords’
corruption. The people didn’t throw us out: it was the
Ethiopian army, because that country’s government has an
interest in there being a weak government in Somalia, so
that it can manipulate it according to its own
interests.
Who is behind the latest attacks in the capital, which
have left at least half a dozen people dead?
Ahmed: I don’t know. The government has blamed the
attacks on the Islamist insurgency. There are many
radical groups and they can’t all be controlled. I want
to make it clear that the UIC is not behind these fatal
attacks.
The USA has identified several members of your
organization for their alleged links with the
international terrorist network Al-Qaeda. Do you deny
this information?
Ahmed: I’ve said before and I say it again now: the
Union of Islamic Courts has no connection with Al-Qa’idah.
It is an excuse which they use for attacking us.
(ST)
Sources:
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article20032