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MOGADISHU,
Somalia June 3, 2009 - Somali opposition figure Sheikh Hassan Dahir
Aweys has publicly stated that there are ongoing talks to unite the
political and military strength of Somali opposition groups Hizbul Islam
and Al Shabaab, but his proposal has already been rejected, Radio Garowe
reports.
Sheikh Aweys, who returned to the Somali capital Mogadishu in April, was
crowned the new rebel leader of Hizbul Islam, a coalition of four
Islamist factions that merged in January to fight against the interim
government led by President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, formerly a close ally
of Aweys.
"Talks to unite Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam are in the finals stages,"
Sheikh Aweys told reporters Wednesday.
But Al Shabaab guerrilla leaders who refused to be identified rejected
Sheikh Aweys' claims, saying that Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam do not
share a common name but have agreed to share weapons to overthrow
President Sheikh Sharif's U.N.-backed interim government and African
Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) protecting the government.
Sheikh Aweys has not commented on Al Shabaab's rejection of his unity
proposal yet, but divisions linger within the opposition, who are only
united in overthrowing the government but have different ideologies
about Somalia's political future.
Source: Garowe Online
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