(SomaliNet) The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) which is struggling for the control of Somalia and Islamic Courts Union (ICU) that seized the power of the Somalia capital Mogadishu and other key towns from warlords two weeks ago have signed a peace deal in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum overnight following face to face talking to end the hostility.
| This is after the ICU dismissed the legitimacy of the TFG... |
The US state department has welcomed the peace accord by TFG and ICU as step forward and it is the start of new understanding between Islamists and SomaliÂ’s interim government despite the US government had asked ICU to hand over three foreign terrorist suspects who are believed to be in the Somalia capital Mogadishu.
| It's doubtful that'll happen. The ICU's going to play by the rules as much as it can to avoid being evicted, but it's not going to break its ties with al-Qaeda... |
The spokesman of the United Nation general secretary Kofi Anan, Stevejeni Dujarric said the UN has welcomed the new peace deal among Somali groups and praised the Arab League and the Sudanese government for their effort of gathering rival sides and hold meeting for them.
| I regard anything the Arab League's involved with as shaky... |
The delegations from TFG and ICU who had their first face to face talks in Khartoum have agreed on seven key articles including: To recognize each other Ceasefire
To put the war criminals on trail
To stop media campaign
To suggest joint peaceful appeal to all Somalis
To maintain the negotiations ahead.
To hold another peace conference on 15 July. On the government side, the peace deal was signed by the foreign minister Abdulahi Sheikh Ismael while the Islamic courts side; it was signed by Dr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim.
| It'll be interesting to watch this unfold. It looks like the warlord bubble's burst for good — which is to the good. Rule by Islamists isn't, though, and I think it'll become obvious in the next few weeks that the ICU isn't in control of its own hard boys, as witness the murder of a Swedish journalist today. |
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