Somali leader wants united front against extremism

[Juje]

Somali leader wants united front against extremism

 

By ANITA POWELL

 

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Somalia's new president called for a united front against violent extremists and signaled his intent to try to bring together the country's feuding Islamic factions, according to an interview published Sunday.

 

Moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed was sworn in Saturday and faces the daunting task of leading a Western-backed government that wields little control over a country that has suffered nearly 20 years of violence and anarchy.

 

"I say it is now high time to achieve national unity, forget our differences, unify our ranks and confront those who commit violence," Sharif was quoted as saying by the English-language Saudi Gazette.

 

Ahmed was chairman of the Islamic Courts Union that ran Mogadishu for six months in 2006 before Ethiopian soldiers drove them from power.

 

The group's extremist breakaway militia, al-Shabab, has now taken much of the country, forcing lawmakers to meet outside of the country. The U.S. considers al-Shabab a terror organization with links to al-Qaida.

 

Al-Shabab did not recognize the last government and also disapproves of Sharif, but his election raises hopes that he will bring many of Somalia's Islamic factions into a more inclusive government. The U.S. government welcomed Sharif as leader Saturday and said that he had worked diligently on reconciliation efforts in Somalia.

 

Sharif was attending the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on Sunday and holding a series of meetings with other African leaders. He did not speak to reporters.

 

Mohamed Jaama Ali, a minister in Sharif's government, said the administration would first try to appease the militia, but that if they refused to come around, would go after them.

 

"We'll try to negotiate with them," he said. "We'll try to bring them on board. We'll use the carrot-and-stick. We'll try to influence them — or we'll beat them."

 

The last president resigned in December after failing to pacify the country during his four-year tenure.

 

The arid and impoverished Horn of Africa nation of some 8 million people has not had a functioning government since clan-based militias overthrew a dictator in 1991 then turned on each other.

 

Pirates prey on international shipping freely from Somalia's lawless shores, and analysts fear an extremist Islamic administration could become a haven for international terrorists.

 

There have been more than a dozen previous peace efforts and three previous governments were formed, but they never managed to take effective control over most of the country.

 

Source: AP, Feb. 01, 2009

[Meiji]

Mohamed Jaama Ali,

a minister

in Sharif's government,

Minister of what? And more importantly what govermnent?

[Juje]

Originally posted by Meiji:

quote: Mohamed Jaama Ali,

a minister

in Sharif's government,

Minister of what? And more importantly what govermnent?

Printing error I think...there is no executive government yet saxiib.

[Meiji]

Anyways,

 

Lets hope the ''moderates'' and the ''extremists'' and whatever ''faction'' fight there war somewhere else.

 

Mogadishu and Southern regions need peaceful internal development, we should not waste time in becoming spectators and victims in the conflict between these different factions.

[Juje]

Originally posted by Meiji:

Lets hope the ''moderates'' and the ''extremists'' and whatever ''faction'' fight there war somewhere else.

Saxiib Meiji I could not agree with you more...and I pray it turns out that way...we cant afford to be anymore battle-grounds.

[Meiji]

Self-correction:

 

Lets make sure the ''moderates'' and the ''extremists'' and whatever ''faction'' fight there war somewhere else.

 

We control our own lives, and as such should not allow the different factions to be engaged in a tit-for-tat struggle on our backs.

[Samafal]

I read the article and I don't see where he says he will fight extremism. Why do people misquote?

[axmad gurey]

Most of the country is under peace now and the affairs are being taken care of. Now Sharif has come. So let's see if he will bring instability to the South again to get his ways and his chair.

 

Let me remind you that the Somali "government" is weaker than it was before the Ethiopians entered. Those days they controled at least one city, baidoa. Now they don't even control one city and are only in control in a few parts of Mogadisho with the help of some invading foreign mercenaries.