Yemen is prepared to grant political asylum to a top Somali Islamist leader, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kerbi said Monday, as other officials predicted that Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed could arrive within 24 hours. Speaking to reporters, al-Kerbi said that Sheik Ahmed "has not officially asked for asylum yet, but if he applies we will not abstain from accepting." Sheik Ahmed told The Associated Press last week he planned to leave Kenya, where he fled in January, soon, once he had received a formal invitation from the Yemeni government.On Sunday, al-Kerbi met with the U.S. ambassador to Kenya and said they discussed the latest developments in Somalia and efforts being exerted to hold a reconciliation meeting. Sheik Ahmed is expected to arrive within the coming 24 hours, a foreign ministry official and a security official said.
Sheik Ahmed was the chairman of the Executive Council of Islamic Courts and shared the leadership with Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is a U.S. list of people with suspected ties to al-Qaida, though he has repeatedly denied having ties to international terrorists. Sheik Ahmed is not known to be wanted by U.S. authorities.