Sudan proposes to mediate between Ethiopia, Somali courts
Oct 30, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — A high level delegation led by the minister of defense held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister proposing Sudanese mediation with the Somali Union of Islamic Courts of Somalia.
The Sudanese minister of Defense Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein offered Sudan’s mediation with the Somali UIC to put and end to the escalation between the two countries.
The Islamic courts have declared holy war against Ethiopia on a number of occasions in recent months, but have so far avoided any direct military confrontation.
The Somali Islamists say Ethiopia is invading their country while Ethiopia accuses them of harbouring international terrorism and destabilizing its internal stability.
This Sudanese initiative comes as third round of talks in Khartoum between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and the UIC is in the impasse. The Islamists demand the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from the county before the resumption of the direct talks.
“Dialogue cannot continue while Ethiopia is invading Somalia and war can break out at any time right now,” Ibrahim Hussein Adow, head Islamist delegation said in Khartoum.
The Sudanese defense minister said as the transitional government in Somalia has a legal status and acceptance by the AU and the international community, Sudan will give its full support to it.
The purpose of the Sudanese delegation is to convince Meles Zenawi to dialogue with the Somali courts, and find a compromise between the Ethiopian supported TFG and the UIC.
A previous attempt by the Libyan leader, Muammar Gadhafi, had failed, with the UIC and Ethiopia not holding direct talks.
Addis Ababa does not trust the Somali UIC and positions its self as anti-terrorism player in the region in its alliance with the US Administration.
The official Ethiopian TV, which reported the meeting between the Ethiopian Prime Minister and the Sudanese delegation, didn’t mention the proposal of the Sudanese mediation. It just said that the objective of the visit is to inform Ethiopia on the Sudanese stance against the UN takeover in troubled Darfur region from the African Union forces.
The chairman of the Executive Council of the UIC, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad, had previously said that the UIC was ready to hold talks with Ethiopia, if the later was ready for it. He had said the main aim of Ethiopia was to take control of Somalia by force.
(ST)