AFRICA/SOMALIA - Reciprocal recognition between Somali government and Islamic Courts which control most of the country

Friday, 23 June 2006

Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides)- An agreement reached between the Islamic Courts and the transition government of Somalia foresees a treaty and reciprocal recognition.
The agreement - said agreement mediator Arab League general secretary Amr Mussa, - includes “reciprocal recognition”, an end to “military and propaganda campaigns” and urges “unconditioned dialogue in the ambit of reciprocal recognition” and bringing to justice of “war criminals”. The agreement was signed on 22 June in Khartoum, capital of Sudan. At the end of the talks and the signing of the document, Sudan foreign minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, and the leader of the delegation of the Islamic Courts Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, embraced. The agreement calls on all the factions in Somalia to make peace. The Islamic Courts which since early June control most of Mogadishu are extending their influence to the rest of the country, in a state of civil war since 1991: in many areas Islamic Sharia law has been imposed.
The sides agreed to meet again on 15 July to solve open questions such as the deployment of foreign peace keepers and the return to troops Mogadishu of the government exiled in Baidoa 250 kn away from Mogadishu. The question of foreign troops is sensitive sine the people have bad memories of UN and US missions to Somalia.
The agreement reached is important because hitherto the government set pre-conditions which the Courts rejected. Mediation by Sudan, rotating head of the Arab League.
The Somali government is led by Abdullahi Yusuf, elected President of Somalia 10 October 2004 in Nairobi (Kenya) by the Somali transition government (see Fides 12 October 2004). The executive has been unable to move to the capital, because of the opposition of rebel groups which controlled the city until they were chased away by the Islamic Courts a few weeks ago. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 23/6/2006 righe 33 parole 408)


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