afrol News, 10 June - An influential Somali Islamist leader's refusal to endorse a three-month truce reached between Mogadishu and its political rivals would undoubtedly shatter the United Nations' frantic efforts to bring lasting peace to the crisis-ridden Horn of African country.

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the founder of the ousted Islamic Courts Union, described the Monday's peace talks in Djibouti and the peace accord as "fruitless." Mr Aweys believed that the outcome of the conference would not have any impact on the resistance in Somalia.

"We shall continue fighting until we liberate our country from the enemies of Allah," he told Mogadishu-based Shabelle radio.

The powerful cleric who is suspected to have links with Osama bin Ladin's al-Qaeda network, is also a member of the Alliance of the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), an umbrella group of opposition parties based in the neighbouring Eritrea.

A mediation by the UN Special Envoy for Somalia Ahmedou Ould Abdallah led to the signing of a truce by Somal Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and ARS leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed on Monday. According to the UN Envoy, the two sides have agreed to cease hostilities in 30 days time for three months.

But Aweys and other radical Islamists boycotted the talks, insisting to take part only after Ethiopian troops backing the government have been withdrawn out of Somalia. Ethiopian troops were deployed in Somalia in December 2006 to help dislodge the Islamic Courts Union from power.

The accord guaranteed the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops within 120 days. They will be replaced by UN peacekeepers from Somalia's friendly countries.

Sheikh Aweys said the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces is yet to be clear, especially in the absence of a timetable.

Somalia has been without a proper functioning government since the overthrow of the country's former dictator Mohamed Siad Bare in 1991. The ousting of ICU from power had even made matters worse because it resulted to waves of Islamic insurgency, culminating in the killing of thousands of people. Many people displaced by the fighting have been faced with humanitarian crisis.

It is unclear whether the truce will have any impact on renewed clashes between Islamists insurgents and Ethiopian troops, the latest being at the weekend when 28 people were killed. But most people are skeptical about its implementation.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories