Friday, June 16, 2006
AFP
Islamic militia leaders in Somalia have written to the United States to stress that they reject terrorism and will not allow terrorists to transit through or hide in their territory, The Washington Post said on Friday.
“Some of our leaders’ families had the unfortunate experiences of loved ones being kidnapped, tortured and murdered at the hands of the warlords and criminal gangs during the last decade.
“We feel the pain of all people who had to face tyranny of terrorists and organised criminals. Our commitment in this regard is steadfast,” Ahmed wrote.
The letter, which was sent to the US State Department and the embassies of several other countries, compared international terrorists such as Al-Qaeda to the brutal warlords who ruled Mogadishu since 1991, said the newspaper.
The Islamist militias routed the warlords alliance in recent weeks after more than four months of fighting, and now control most of the capital and other towns in southern Somalia.
In his letter, which the Washington Post described as “direct though conciliatory”, Ahmed addressed US concerns that the Somali militias harbour Islamic terrorists who have been linked to attacks in east Africa, including the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
He pledged that militia leaders would prevent Somalia from becoming “a transit route or hiding ground” for terrorists.
He also promised to install a civilian police force soon and to demobilise former militia members to work on public works such as street cleaning and tree planting.
The Washington Post said that in an interview Thursday, the mayor of Mogadishu, Hassan Ali, warned that only a rapid, massive infusion of cash and outside help could prevent the Islamic forces from turning Somalia into a haven for terrorists.
Ali, who was appointed by Somalia’s largely powerless transitional government, also disputed that the militias were providing safe haven to terrorists but said Islamic extremism could take root among Mogadishu’s disaffected populations.
The Joint Islamic Courts militias, which now control most of Mogadishu, are setting up a form of Islamic governance along with local elders in areas under their control.
A US-inspired group to promote reconciliation in Somalia held its first meeting on Thursday at the United Nations in New York, and vowed to foster good governance in Somalia.
The International Somalia Contact group so far includes representatives from the United States, Norway, Britain, Sweden, Italy, the European Union and Tanzania.
Source: AFP, June 16, 2006
