From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Tue Oct 07 2008 - 08:54:06 EDT
ICU denies ceasefire with Ethiopians
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:26:58 GMT
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed
There is no ceasefire between the forces of the Islamic Courts Union and Ethiopians, says chairman of the Somali opposition groups.
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told a group of reporters in Saudi Arabia on Monday that opposition groups would not stop attacking Ethiopian soldiers. We will not give in to the Ethiopians.We are still attacking them and no ceasefire deal has been signed between the ICU and the Ethiopians," he noted.
The head of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia reiterated that the alliance would continue its fight against Ethiopian forces until they are kicked out of Somalia.
Sheikh Ahmed said the opposition groups in Djibouti are ready to enter peace talks with the Somali government after a government is established in the country, Press TV correspondent said.
Meanwhile, the ICU leader called on the Islamic world to extend its support for the displaced and starving Somali people.
The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) comprised of seven countries in East Africa, has invited the entire Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to the Kenyan capital Nairobi for an extraordinary summit. It also sponsored the 2002-2004 peace talks that resulted in the establishment of the TFG.
Italian among Somali blast casualties
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:45:09 GMT
UN has obtained UIC's confirmation for resumption of aid works.
A blast in southern Somalia has killed an unconfirmed number of Somali civilians and injured an Italian working for the United Nations.
The incident took place after the vehicle carrying the relief worker hit a roadside bomb in the Lower Shabelle region's town of Merka, a Press TV correspondent reported.
An undetermined number of Somali civilians, including the vehicle's driver also died during the explosion which caused the official non-fatal injuries.
The injuries are not fatal; Nurse Abdi Mahad was quoted as saying at Merka's hospital.
Meanwhile, six UN workers, including the UNICEF representative in Somalia, had reportedly reached the nearby town of Jowhar where they received the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) confirmation that they can resume their relief work there.
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