afrol News, 19 March - The notorious Al Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden has called for the ousting of the newly elected Somali interim leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed for allegedly citing with the Islamic foes.

According to the audio posted on the internet purportedly from Mr Bin Laden, he accused the leader of turning his back on the Islamic community after he formed the unity government and accepted offers from the American envoy based in Kenya.

Mr Ahmed who was elected president in January after UN-brokered reconciliation talks, had seen retaliation from the Islamic group, with the most radical al-Shabab insurgents allied to al-Qaeda having continued to fight him despite his pledge to re-introduce Sharia court.

Last month, President Ahmed said he would give in to a rebel demand to impose Islamic law in the Horn of Africa country, in an effort to halt fighting between Somali forces and Islamic insurgents.

Earlier this month the Somali cabinet backed President Ahmed's plan to introduce Sharia law, a move analysts say is designed to drain support for Al-Shabab. However, the hardline Islamists rejected the move, saying it would not be a strict enough version of Islamic law.

The 12-minute tape entitled "Fight on, champions of Somalia" also accused Mr Ahmed of having changed and turned back on his heels to partner up with the “infidel” in a national unity government.

Ethiopian forces backed Somalia troops to oust the Islamic Courts Union from power and reinstalled the UN backed transitional government. Ethiopian forces withdrew from Somalia in January under the auspices of a UN-brokered peace accord reached in June.

Mr Ahmed was a leader of the Union of Islamic Courts which controlled Mogadishu in 2006 before being ousted by Ethiopian forces, backing the previous Somali president.

Somalia, has seen a constant rebellion since 1991 when the warlords overthrew Siad Barre and then turned on each other.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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