Somali Islamists say Ethiopian withdrawal prior to peace talks

Jan 30, 2007 (MOGADISHU) – The Union of the Islamic Courts reject to hold talks with Ethiopia as long as its troops remain in Somalia. They further said that one of their leader went Nairobi at the request of the US Ambassador in the neighboring country.

Mustafa Ahmed, adviser to Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a leader of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), has told the Spanish daily La Razon that his organization will not negotiate with Ethiopia as long as its troops remain in Somalia. Ahmed called on the USA to stop bombarding the country and denied the UIC had any links to Al-Qaeda.

He reaffirmed the position of the UIC in favor of peaceful negotiations with all the concerned sides from the EU, USA and the Somali government. He further added that the starting of the talks is subjected to the withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops from the country.

“The UIC was the first to recognize the legitimacy of the transitional government, and our position has not changed. I repeat: we are open to dialogue and to cooperating in the process of national reconciliation.”

On the other hand, The EU commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, and Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf in a meeting held today in Addis Ababa agreed that the national reconciliation process should be attended by tribal leaders, religious leaders as well as political groups in Somalia in order to overcome 16 years of political crisis. But President Abdullhai told the press he will not hold any talks with those who were behind political problems.

The following is an excerpt from a report and interview by the Spanish newspaper La Razon web site on 30 January:

Mogadishu: Mustafa Ahmed, 38, is the adviser to Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, one of the two heads of the executive committee of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC]), the other is Hassan Dahir Aweys, chairman of the legislative council. Ahmed, a moderate like Sheikh Sharif, now lives in hiding in Mogadishu, like many other Islamist combatants who did not leave the capital after Ethiopian troops helped the transitional government to retake the country and cornered the Islamic Courts’ militias in Kismayo, near the Kenyan border. La Razon interviewed Ahmed in a hotel room in Mogadishu.

ETHIOPIAN SHOULD WITHDRAW FIRST

– Is there any truth in the rumors that Sheikh Sharif is being held in Nairobi (Kenya) and interrogated by the USA?

Ahmed: No. That report is totally false. Sheikh Sharif went to Nairobi at the request of the US ambassador, Michael Ranneberger, with whom he is discussing the situation and the future of Somalia.

– Could you give me any details of the conversations?

Ahmed: The only thing I can say is that there are no results as yet. They are still meeting. Personally I trust in our leader and I know he will be able to lead the Americans along the path of dialogue and understanding. The council of the Islamic Courts is in favor of peaceful dialogue and negotiations with all sides – the USA, the EU and the Somali transitional government – but we won’t negotiate with Ethiopia while its army remains in our country. This condition is unchangeable. The UIC was the first to recognize the legitimacy of the transitional government, and our position has not changed. I repeat: we are open to dialogue and to cooperating in the process of national reconciliation.

WE HAVE NO LINK WITH AL-QAEDA

– What conditions will you require of the USA if an agreement is reached?

Ahmed: Firstly, to stop bombarding the country. We invite them to come here and see the reality. The US government is making a mistake, because it receives the wrong information. There are no Al-Qaeda fighters in Somalia, nor does the UIC have links to that organization. We have weapons which reach us through different channels. We don’t need Al-Qaeda to arm us, nor do we accept its modus operandi. Our struggle is for the dignity of the Somali people. That is why we call on the USA to put pressure on the UN for a national reconciliation conference to be held in Somalia.

– Would you be prepared to accept the intervention of the African Union (AU) peace troops?

Ahmed: Of course: we want there to be peace in the country, although I don’t think it is the solution. There has also been a mission by UN blue helmets, and no progress has been seen to date. In order for there to be stability, all the factions will have to be integrated into the government, and we are also part of this government, even though they’ve tried to marginalize us.

“JIHAD” AGAINST ETHIOPIA

– What measures will you take if Ethiopian troops do not leave the country as the Ethiopian government has promised?

Ahmed: If the Ethiopian army continues to occupy the country and the pledge it made to the transitional government is not respected, we shall carry on with the “jihad” against Ethiopia. We shall not give up the armed struggle until there is not a single Ethiopian soldier left in the country. We’ve withdrawn the militias from the capital to prevent more civilian deaths, but this is only a change of strategy.

– Will the civilian population go on supporting the Islamic Courts?

Ahmed: The Somalis have supported us because the UIC has brought safety to Mogadishu. We’ve worked to rebuild homes and clean the streets of the capital. Thanks to us, people can walk freely without fear of violence. We brought stability and we put an end to the warlords’ corruption. The people didn’t throw us out: it was the Ethiopian army, because that country’s government has an interest in there being a weak government in Somalia, so that it can manipulate it according to its own interests.

– Who is behind the latest attacks in the capital, which have left at least half a dozen people dead?

Ahmed: I don’t know. The government has blamed the attacks on the Islamist insurgency. There are many radical groups and they can’t all be controlled. I want to make it clear that the UIC is not behind these fatal attacks.

– The USA has identified several members of your organization for their alleged links with the international terrorist network Al-Qaeda. Do you deny this information?

Ahmed: I’ve said before and I say it again now: the Union of Islamic Courts has no connection with Al-Qa’idah. It is an excuse which they use for attacking us.

(ST)