Islamists call on warlord to surrender

The leader of executive Council of Islamic Courts Sheikh Sharif Sheikh appealed on Monday the only warlord Col. Abdi Hassan Awale Qeybdid whose militia are involving in fresh the battle raging in southwestern capital Mogadishu to give in to Islamic courts or he will loose and will be caught – as the fighting enters its second day with rival sides exchanging heavy artillery weapons that rocked the Somalia capital.

In a news conference held at Hotel Ramadan in north of Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed raised many issues on the current situations in Somalia particular the crisis in the capital, saying the battle going on in the city is part of Islamic courts operations to clear all bars ahead of restoring peace and stability.

“We call on Abdi Qeybdid to yield to Islamic courts before we capture him alive and we also tell him to follow the same path that his 10 fellow members took and do favor for his men,” Sheikh Ahmed said adding that the fighting will continue to the end.

He said the latest flare up of fighting started after they had tried of several days of peace efforts and lastly they preferred engaging all out war with what he called ‘peace killers’ – militia loyal to Abdi Qeybdid, former police chief, who had already given up being membership of the alliance for restoration of peace and counter terrorism (ARPCT) who is believed to have been backed by the US government.

The leader of the executive Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also said he is asking all Somali people to show an impression of being Muslim and Somalism and avoid tribalism.

Earlier, Col. Abdi Qeybdid vowed that he will not yield to what he called clan men who are covering under the name of Islamic courts.

“The Islamic courts are not power and money seekers but their motive is only to restore law and order in the country and try to overcome the long running crisis in Somalia,” Sharif said.

He warned any foreign intervention in Somalia as illegal saying all Somali people in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Jowhar, Baidoa, Beledwiene and towns do not need any outside foreign troops in their country but what he called ‘very few elements clamor for overseas deployments.

The Sheikh urged the UN Security Council to suspend voting for the deployment of foreign troops in Somalia. “We are telling all UN member states that we can not accept the plan of sending peace keeping troops in Somalia, the cost they pay for foreign forces should spend to Somali national forces stead,” he said adding “if they hold particular project, we request them not to carry out in Somalia,”

Sheikh Ahmed also dismissed the recent calls from the transitional federal government based in Baidoa which accused the Islamists of violating the peace deal signed in Khartoum June 22, saying the TFG has nothing to do with the capital matters, the future of Somalia capital is up to the Islamic courts, he said.

He also ignored any the legitimacy of other sectarian Islamic courts in the capital.

Sheikh Ahmed, former school teacher, warned the mass media against broadcasting non-true stories, suggesting only Islamic officials can report to the journalists after meeting on the issue.

The Islamic courts militia, who has gained sizable social support, have seized control of the Somalia capital Mogadishu June 5 and then extended their power into central and southern Somalia.

Mohamed Abdi Farah