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By Khaled Mahmoud
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Cairo, Asharq Al- Awsat- In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, President
of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed denied that Al Qaeda had any
presence in his country saying "We know that the Al Qaeda organization
is not present inside Somalia, but there may be those that sympathize
with the words of Osama Bin Laden, or his way of thinking, or his
actions. Osama Bin Laden, as a Muslim, should not incite a country that
is recovering from problems, or its people, to fighting. He knows the
position of Islamic Shariaa law on [doing] this."
Sheikh Ahmed also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that he was not afraid of
assassination attempts having taken office as President of Somalia,
saying that his task was to serve the people of Somalia.
Sheikh Ahmed, speaking about the problem of piracy in Somalia, informed
Asharq Al-Awsat that "the international community did not do its duty
and support the Somalia Transitional National government to combat
piracy." The Somali President stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that it was
within his power to "eradicate this phenomenon [of piracy] which has
afflicted the movement of commercial and nautical navigation in the Gulf
of Aden and the Indian Ocean if it received the necessary financial and
logistical support".
Sheikh Ahmed added that the main cause for piracy was foreign ships
violating the fishing laws in Somali waters, and the damage [this
caused] to the interests of local fishermen. He added that piracy was
also a reaction to the dumping of nuclear and chemical waste in Somali
territorial waters.
Somali President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also informed Asharq Al-Awsat
that the Saudi Arabian role is important in solving the crisis in
Somalia, and that he intends to visit Saudi Arabia some time in the
future.
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat, April 23, 2009
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