'Time to achieve unity'

Addis Ababa - Somalia's new president called for a united front against violent extremists and signalled his intent to try to bring together the country's feuding Islamic factions, according to an interview published on Sunday. Moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed was sworn in on 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," Ahmed 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 US considers al-Shabab a terror organisation with links to al-Qaeda. Al-Shabab did not recognise the last government and also disapproves of Ahmed, but his election raises hopes that he will bring many of Somalia's Islamic factions into a more inclusive government. The US government welcomed Ahmed as leader in Saturday and said that he had worked diligently on reconciliation efforts in Somalia. Ahmed 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 ..more..http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2462660,00.html