Somali Insurgents Reject Government’s Olive Branch

Somalia's hard-line Islamic insurgents have rejected peace overtures after President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called on them to stop the violence and begin peace negotiations.
Somali President of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Sheikh AhmedThis comes less than a week after President Sheikh Sharif held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.
The insurgents including, al-Shabab denounced President Sheikh Sharif's invitation calling him an agent of the west who wants to control the country's resources.
At a press conference Monday, President Sheikh Sharif accused al-Shabab of being under the command of al-Qaida, which aims to turn Somalia into a safe haven for international terrorism.
Political analyst Ali Abdullahi told VOA that Mogadishu is too weakened to negotiate with the hard-line insurgents.
"I wonder who he (President Sheikh Sharif) will try to negotiate with. Also, the government thing it can sort of appeal to the not o much of the hard-liners. But it seems on both sides not only the issue of negotiations but there is also the possibility of escalation of violence," Abdullahi said...more..http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-11-voa4.cfm
Somali President urges opposition groups to come to negotiation table‎