Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
Ahmednor Mohamed Farah
25 December 2008
Somalia — Sheik Hassan Dahir Aways, the leader of an Islamist opposition group based in Eritrean capital Asmara rejected an offer to join the UN-backed peace efforts in Somalia; Radio Shabelle interviews him on Thursday.
"We will not join any peace efforts until the enemy (Ethiopia) leaves the country. I do not think Ethiopian troops will leave the country, if they are withdrawing they would have withdrawn before," Aways told radio Shabelle.
"They are not committed to withdraw from Somalia but they want financial support to maintain their occupation in Somalia"
Sheik Aways said Somalis must be free from outside intervention to decide the future of their country.
Sheik Hassan Dahir Aways leads the Asmara based wing of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia and had previously refused to be part of peace deal that was signed in Djibouti between transitional government and the Djibouti based wing of the alliance led by Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed.
Sheik Aways and Sheik Sharif were the leaders of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia but they split after Shiek Sharif and his group reconciled with the transitional government of Somalia.
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