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| Africa Horn |
| Somalia: Nothing will delay reconciliation conference, president |
| 2007-07-13 |
| (SomaliNet) Somalia’s interim president Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed insisted that the reconciliation conference will take place in Mogadishu as intended ignoring the violence in the city. In a news conference held today inside the presidential house jointly with the traditional leader of Hawiye clan Haji Abdi Iman, president Yusuf spoke out about the current situation in the country and the government’s decision to hold the reconciliation meeting on its deadline. When asked about the night’s mortar attacks on government positions, Mr. Yusuf said the violence would not deter the government from its efforts to hold the meeting. “Let alone a mortar attack, even if a nuclear bomb is launched, the national reconciliation meeting will open on its scheduled time, our security forces will continue the disarmament operations and hunting down the plotters,” said president Yusuf. In his speech, the president again offered an amnesty to all supporters of the ousted Islamic Courts Union except those who support extremism. “Somalia president promised us that all those who fled the country for fear of reprisal will be given amnesty and can return to their homes,” Abdi Iman told the reporters in the presidential palace. The president also ruled out the possibility of any foreign troops withdrawal from the country saying that the outside forces will stay in the country until peace is restored. |
| Posted by:Fred |