Khartoum, July 16 (Reuters) – Somalia’s Islamic courts have agreed to respect the legitimacy of the fragile government and continue talks despite a rebuff by the president, said an Arab League envoy on Saturday.
President Abdullahi Yusuf had decided to boycott talks in Sudan this weekend.
The talks were aimed at averting war between his government and the courts, which have seized the capital and part of the south.
Despite the rebuff, Islamic delegates flew to Khartoum on Friday. They held initial discussions with the Arab League, which brokered a first round of talks on Somalia last month.
“They stressed the importance of saving the legitimacy of the government … their readiness not to escalate against the government and in particular not to make any attacks against Baidoa,” said Arab League envoy Zeid al Sabban.
“They stressed they want to open a frank discussion with the government …(and) are in total readiness to pave the way for the government to return to Mogadishu”
The interim government is based in the provincial town of Baidoa.
Reconciliation ‘doubtful’
Mogadishu, which descended into anarchy after warlords ousted former president Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, was deemed too insecure at the time.
The Islamic Courts Union seized the capital from United States-backed warlords on June 5 and advanced into the hinterland.
Somali parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan told parliament on Saturday that he would appoint a reconciliation committee to meet with the Islamists in Khartoum, echoing comments he made last week calling for continued dialogue.
He was not immediately available for comment but his deputy Mohamed Omar Dalha cast doubt on the move.
Sabban said Adan would meet Yusuf to seek permission to send a government delegation to Khartoum.
The Islamist delegation signed a communique with the Arab League reaffirming its commitment to June’s accord, in which they agreed – with the Somali government – to recognise each other and end military campaigns.
The Western-backed government said the court’s assaults on remaining warlords around Mogadishu broke the accord.
Source: Reuters, July 16, 2006
