From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Wed Jul 01 2009 - 11:30:02 EDT
Somali Government Receives New Shipment of Weapons
01/07/2009
By Khaled Mahmoud
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- Somali sources have revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat
that a new shipment of weapons and ammunitions arrived on Monday for the
transitional authority led by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad to strengthen
its military position against the Islamist insurgents who are seeking to
overthrow him and are getting close to encircling him at his
presidential palace in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Somali Government officials disclosed that at least two military planes
landed at the capital's airport on Monday which was quickly closed to
all commercial flights from abroad.
The new shipment arrived only few days after US President Barack Obama's
administration announced it had supplied the Somali Government with 40
tons of weapons and ammunitions worth $10 million.
Somali sources had recently informed Asharq Al-Awsat they were expecting
the arrival of military shipments from Arab and Western countries within
the framework of what they called the international community's interest
in curbing the Islamist insurgents and preventing the elements
associated with Al-Qaeda organization from turning the country into an
Islamic emirate similar to what the Taliban movement did in Afghanistan
in the past.
Meanwhile, the hard-line "Mujahidin Youth", which is opposed to Sheikh
Sharif and foreign military presence in Somalia, announced it destroyed
several tons of out-of-date foods in the Bakara market, one of the most
important markets in the capital. Sheikh Ali Muhammad Hussein (one of
the group's leaders) gave the traders and food distributors five days to
rearrange their situations and get rid of the spoiled foods whose dates
of expiry had passed a long time ago. He warned that the Mujahidin Youth
would not be lenient with those risking the Somali people's health.
On the other hand, an authoritative source in the Somali president's
office said Sheikh Sharif might leave later today to the Libyan city of
Sirte to participate in the African Union's [AU] summit of presidents
and prime ministers. The official, who asked to remain unidentified,
noted that Sheikh Sharif's participation is in response to the request
of Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi and Ahmed Ould Abdullah, the
UN's special envoy to Somalia.
Meanwhile, a leading figure in the Islamic Party, which isled by Sheikh
Hassan Tahir Uways, denied to Asharq Al-Awsat that any military
personnel from Eritrea or any other country were participating beside
the militia of the party which is allied to the "Mujahidin Youth."
Speaking by telephone from some unknown place, the leader said Sheikh
Sharif is spreading these accusations against Eritrea, which earlier had
hosted the Somali opposition, for the purpose of diverting attention
from his attempts to expand the African forces' mission and powers and
bring more foreign troops to the country.
An official in the Eritrean Government denied to Asharq Al-Awsat his
country's involvement in the ongoing fight in Somalia and said by
telephone from Asmara: "We do not have any forces in Mogadishu. We
challenge the transitional president or anyone else to prove the
validity of these totally false allegations." He added: "We believe that
these accusations will not deceive anyone and Sheikh Sharif should
refrain from making them because, quite simply, no one believes them."
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1
<http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=17263> &id=17263
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