From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sun Sep 14 2008 - 08:45:47 EDT
Somalia: Top Somali exile visits southern port for
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Some officials of the [opposition] Alliance for the Re-liberation of
Somalia [ARS] who are based in Asmara, Eritrea, today arrived in
Kismaayo, Lower Jubba [southern Somalia].
The delegation led by Sheikh Hasan Mahdi, who is the spokesman of the
ARS group based in Asmara, spoke to Mareeg about the purpose of their
trip.
"We came to see the mujahidin. The mujahidin have had some differences,
so the main reason of our trip is to reconcile them and double the
jihadist effort [words indistinct]; that was the main reason for our
trip" He said.
Mreeg: Where are you now Sheikh Hasan?
"We are in Kismayo, but also planning to go Dhoblai. We are currently
with the mujahidin in Kismayo, who welcomed us. We are hoping to visit
all the regions where jihad is under way" He added.
Mareeg: It has been reported that a meeting has been held in Jalalaqsi
and in Jowhar to resolve the rows between the Asmara-based [ARS] faction
and the Djibouti-based one. Has anything been resolved during these
meetings?
Mahdi: Nothing has been resolved. As you know, after the meeting, the
points we agreed on were violated even before we arrived in Asmara.
Therefore, the decisions reached during that meeting have been annulled.
We resolved some things, among them continued fighting, but the meeting
was not primarily aimed at reconciliation the two groups.
Mareeg: Sheikh Hasan, it is said that Kismayo was captured by various
groups. Are you affiliated to any of those groups? Are you trying to
reconcile all of them? What will you say is the significance of your
trip to Kismaayo?
Mahdi I believe that the groups here are not divided as they appear to
be united; all of the mujahidin are fighting together.
Abdi Guled
englisheditor@mareeg.com
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