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| Africa Horn |
| Fighting erupts in northeast Somalia |
| 2006-11-08 |
| Somali militia loyal to the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) clashed with those who back the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in northeast Somalia on Monday, sparking fears of further territorial advance by the Islamist movement. Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad Indhaade, defense chief of the SCIC that controls most of Somalia, reportedly said his forces came under attack on Monday near the town of Galinsoor, Mudug region, 780 km north of the capital Mogadishu. Mudug is one of the administrative regions occupied by Puntland. However, officials in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland denied any fighting took place. "Puntland forces attacked our positions on Monday morning on the outskirts of Galinsoor," SCIC Vice-Chairman Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Umar said. Umar said the SCIC, who controls much of southern and central Somalia, including Mogadishu, repulsed the attackers who used heavy weapons and armored pick-ups near the border but did not pursue them. "We will exercise maximum restraint and will not let enemy provocations to lead to a wider war," he added. Renewed fighting came barely a week after the Arab League- mediated reconciliation talks between the Somali rival groups collapsed amid fears that the lawless nation is on the brink of a war that could engulf the Horn of Africa region. Puntland, the semi-autonomous home region of Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has been relatively peaceful, compared to southern Somalia, which has been in the grip of warlords and militias for years and has not had a functioning national government since 1991. The fighting took place as the Speaker of the Transitional Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan is currently holding talks with the SCIC leadership in Mogadishu to try to avert a looming conflict. Adan, considered sympathetic to the Islamic courts, which the United States accused of having ties to al-Qaeda, said before the talks that he believed that "Somalis can pull themselves out of this crisis and they must do so themselves." Islamist leaders say they will resume talks, but Adan's visit has not been welcomed by other members of the transitional government who see the speaker's move as worrying, amid concerns that it may lead to a power-sharing agreement that excludes the rest of the government. Critics said that Adan's decision to hold talks without the cooperation of the prime minister and the president is a direct challenge to their authority. The trip comes days after the government's peace talks with the Islamists collapsed in Khartoum, Sudan. |
| Posted by:ryuge |