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Somali government agree with powerful militia group

  1. Posted on Tuesday 16 March 2010 - 16:08
    Yohanes
    Image of Yohanes
    By Andualem Sisay
    Somalia's transitional government signed an agreement with a powerful militia, Ahlu-sunah Wal-jamea, to fight back attacks of Islamic insurgents of Al Shabaab, which labeled as terrorist group by United States.

    Sheikh Mohamed Dahir Hefow, the militia's head, signed the deal on Monday (March 15, 2010) with Somali finance minister Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden at the African Union's headquarters in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

    ''It is a victory for peace and a cursed defeat for spoilers and extremist groups,'' said Somalia's Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke.

    The agreement gave the Ahlu-sunah Wal-jamea militia five ministries as well as diplomatic posts and senior positions within the police and intelligence services. The militia holds several towns and districts in central Somalia.

    The government came under attack by insurgents again on Monday as both sides traded mortar and machine gun fire after the president returned from Dubai. Casualty figures were not immediately available. Scores were killed in fighting last week.

    At the signing ceremony, Somalia's Prime Minister indicated that the deal was part of a larger reconciliation plan.

    ''With this agreement, the government of Somalia and Ahlu-sunah Wal-jamea have taken an essential step in the strategy towards restoring peace and stability to our beloved country,'' he said.

    The militia was active in the 1990's but grew prominent in 2008 after Somalia's traditional Sufis were angered by the destruction of the tombs of their saints by hard-line Islamists.

    Ethiopia sent troops into Somalia in 2006 to topple the Islamists but withdrew a year ago amid concerns their presence was only fueling the conflict.

    Somalia, which has not had a central government for 19 years, is split not only between the Islamists and the government but also freelance clan militias.

    Currently, in Somalia there are some 6,000 African union peacekeeping forces, most of which are deployed near the capital Mogadishu.


    Somali government agree with powerful militia group

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