* Sanctions to range from travel bans to asset freezing
* Somalis to get new constitution, president
By Duncan Miriri
NAIROBI, June 10 (Reuters) - The United States will impose travel sanctions
and freeze assets of Somalis who hinder a political roadmap towards a new
constitution and president in the Horn-of-Africa nation, a senior State
Department official said on Sunday.
Somalia faces an August deadline to achieve both targets, which are a key
step towards restoring stability after more than two decades of turmoil
following the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs Johnnie Carson told a
news conference in the Kenyan capital that the sanctions would apply to
members of the Transitional Federal Government as well as to people outside
of it.
"The kind of action we must take against spoilers range from visa sanctions
to travel sanctions to asset freezes. There is a level of vulnerability for
all of those who might be spoilers," he said after a one-day visit to
Mogadishu.
During the trip, which was the first by a senior ranking U.S. official in
nearly two decades, Carson met President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the prime
minister and the ministers of defence and foreign affairs.
He joined a growing chorus of optimism on the country, after African Union
forces (AMISOM) engaged in hard battles with the militant group al Shabaab
and were able to restore a measure of normality in the capital Mogadishu.
Asked if his visit was a precursor to Washington re-opening its embassy in
Mogadishu, Carson said the United States would continue to monitor the
progress being made before making a decision.
"When we believe that it is both appropriate and safe, we will consider
stationing officials there," he said.
A number of countries, including Turkey, have put up permanent or
semi-permanent diplomatic missions in the Somali capital over the last year.
Carson declined to comment on an offer of 10 camels by al Shabaab for
information on the whereabouts of President Barack Obama and of several
chickens for the same information on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
dismissing a reporter's question on it as "absurd".
Fuad Muhammad Khalaf of the Shabaab group made the offer after Friday
prayers, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant
organizations, mocking the millions of dollars the United States has offered
for leaders of the organisation.
