MOGADISHU (TF.SF)—Somalia’s President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed said on Monday that opposition groups were proxy for al Qaeda in Somalia. President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed held a press conference in Villa Somalia, the Somali presidential palace and called on the opposition groups to lay down their weapons and come to the negotiation table. He accused al Shabab of being proxy for Al Qaeda in their fight against his government. Sheik Sharif said the meeting he had with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Nairobi was successful. He added that he met with other foreign diplomats in Nairobi including defence ministers of Burundi and Uganda, the two countries that contributed the AMISOM troops in Mogadishu and the special AU envoy to Somalia, Nicolas Bwakira. Al Qaida leader called early this year on the Islamist fighters of Al-shabaab to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Somalia, calling its moderate Islamist leader Ahmed "a puppet of foreign countries". The president stated that the Somali government would defend "the sovereignty and national integrity" of Somalia, accusing the al Qaida network is determined to take over the war-torn country. Al-Shabaab, along with the other insurgent group of Hizbul Islam, has been fighting Somali government forces and the African Union peacekeepers for the past two years. Thousands have either been killed or wounded since the start of the violence back in 2007 while more than 1 million civilians have been forced from their homes in the restive Somali capital.Kenya: Country Seeks End to Conflict in the Region
Nairobi — Kenya will work with other countries in the Great Lakes Region to seek a lasting solution to conflict that has ravaged countries in the area, President Kibaki said on Monday.
Despite the progress made towards resolving conflict in the region, stability in Somalia remains elusive, he noted. President Kibaki was addressing the third Ordinary Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, in Lusaka, Zambia."I take this opportunity to appeal to us all, and indeed to the international community, to assume greater responsibility in Somalia in order to ensure the emergence of a stable and democratic country," he said.
Somalia has remained lawless following unresolved conflicts between Islamist extremists who want to overthrow the Federal Transitional Government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is on a tour of the continent, also raised concern on absence of peace in Somalia during her visit to Kenya last week.
Mrs Clinton, who held talks with President Ahmed, however warned that the United States would take action against Eritrea, which she accused of supporting al-Shabaab militias. Eritrea has denied the claims.President Kibaki urged the regional leaders to be sincere in implementing local solutions to conflicts. The President is the outgoing chairman of the summit. He handed over the post to host President Rupiah Banda.The Head of State said the summit had met to review the progress made since the regional leaders signed the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in Nairobi in 2006.Meanwhile, President Kibaki starts a week-long tour of the Coast on Wednesday. The President will officially open the Mombasa International Show on Thursday and preside over the closing of the National Schools and Colleges Music Festival.
He will also re-launch the Hola Irrigation Scheme in Tana River, which collapsed about 10 years ago when the river changed course. He is also expected to commission the Sh3 billion Miritini-Maji ya Chumvi road.
Despite the progress made towards resolving conflict in the region, stability in Somalia remains elusive, he noted. President Kibaki was addressing the third Ordinary Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, in Lusaka, Zambia."I take this opportunity to appeal to us all, and indeed to the international community, to assume greater responsibility in Somalia in order to ensure the emergence of a stable and democratic country," he said.
Somalia has remained lawless following unresolved conflicts between Islamist extremists who want to overthrow the Federal Transitional Government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is on a tour of the continent, also raised concern on absence of peace in Somalia during her visit to Kenya last week.
Mrs Clinton, who held talks with President Ahmed, however warned that the United States would take action against Eritrea, which she accused of supporting al-Shabaab militias. Eritrea has denied the claims.President Kibaki urged the regional leaders to be sincere in implementing local solutions to conflicts. The President is the outgoing chairman of the summit. He handed over the post to host President Rupiah Banda.The Head of State said the summit had met to review the progress made since the regional leaders signed the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in Nairobi in 2006.Meanwhile, President Kibaki starts a week-long tour of the Coast on Wednesday. The President will officially open the Mombasa International Show on Thursday and preside over the closing of the National Schools and Colleges Music Festival.
He will also re-launch the Hola Irrigation Scheme in Tana River, which collapsed about 10 years ago when the river changed course. He is also expected to commission the Sh3 billion Miritini-Maji ya Chumvi road.
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