afrol News, 20 March - Somalia’s Information Minister Farahan Ali Mohamoud has told the Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden to stop meddling with the Somali affairs. The Minister’s angry response follows Mr Bin Laden’s call on Thursday to oust the Interim President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The Al Qaeda fugutive has accused the Somali 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, an accusation he has denied.

Information Minister Farahan Ali Mohamoud said Mr Bin Laden should concentrate on his own survival. "We know that Bin Laden has his own problems in the mountainous area of Tora Bora where he is hiding, so he has no place making such statements at a time when Somalia is keen to emerge from 21 years of violence," he told local reporters.

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

Mr Bin Laden's call was published by known militant websites on Thursday, although there has been no independent confirmation of its authenticity of the video.

President Ahmed who was elected president in January after UN-brokered reconciliation talks has been reported as saying only Somalis should decide on their future.

His administration has witnessed turbulence with the retaliation from the Islamic resurgent allied to al-Qaeda waging attacks despite his pledge to re-introduce Sharia court.

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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