Islamic leader urges 'Greater Somalia'
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSSAN, Associated Press Writer Sat Nov 18, 7:17 PM ET
MOGADISHU, Somalia - The leader of the Islamic group that controls much of
southern Somalia has revived the idea of a "Greater Somalia" that would
incorporate regions of Kenya and Ethiopia a move that could further stoke
tensions with the neighboring countries.
if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();
window.yzq_d['1IMcA9FJq10-']='&U=13aml17b6%2fN%3d1IMcA9FJq10-%2fC%3d384892.9475589.10255526.1442997%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4077516';
Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, chairman of the Council of Islamic Courts, told
Shabelle Radio in an interview late Friday that his group would work to unite
ethnic Somali peoples, but he did not say how it proposed to achieve a "Greater
Somalia."
This is the first time that Aweys has spoken about expanding the influence of
the Islamic courts outside Somalia since his group seized control of the
capital, Mogadishu, in June and then consolidated its control over most of
southern Somalia.
"We will leave no stone unturned to integrate our Somali brothers in Kenya
and Ethiopia and restore their freedom to live with their ancestors in
Somalia," he said.
After present-day Somalia was formed in 1960 from Italian and British
colonies, the country's leaders began pushing for the unity of all
Somali-speaking peoples. Somalis live in Djibouti, northeastern Kenya and
eastern Ethiopia.
Somalia launched an invasion of Ethiopia in 1977, which was quickly repelled.
Since then, Somali nationalists and Islamic fundamentalists have continued to
advocate the idea of a "Greater Somalia," and a minor ethnic-Somali insurgency
continues in eastern Ethiopia.
Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991, when warlords
overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another. A
government was formed with the help of the United Nations two years ago, but
it controls just one town.
Experts have warned that the country has become a proxy battleground for
Somalia's neighbors, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
A confidential U.N. report obtained last month by The Associated Press said
6,000-8,000 Ethiopian troops are in or near Somalia's border with Ethiopia,
backing the interim government. The report also said 2,000 troops from Eritrea
are inside Somalia supporting the Islamic courts.
On Nov. 2, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, issued a warning saying Somali
extremists were threatening suicide attacks in Kenya and Ethiopia. Somalia's
Islamic militia denied they planned any such attacks.
A U.N. panel charged with monitoring the 1992 arms embargo on Somalia said in
a report obtained Wednesday by the AP that 10 countries, including Ethiopia and
Eritrea, had provided weapons, money and training to armed groups in Somalia.
The four-member panel based their report on their own investigations,
interviews and material supplied by embassies in Nairobi. Several of the
countries have denied the allegations.
The U.S. ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, said Saturday there was
ample information that foreign countries were providing weapons to Somalia. He
would not comment specifically on the U.N. report, although he said it was
"generally known Eritrea is involved."
"We do have reliable information that arms are flowing into Somalia from a
number of different sources," Ranneberger told The Associated Press in
Kapenguria, Kenya.
Eritrea's information minister, Ali Abdu, said Saturday the allegations were
"absurd."
___
Associated Press Writer Elizabeth A. Kennedy contributed to this report from
Kapenguria, Kenya.
---------------------------------
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta._______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
