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Islamic Courts in Mogadishu Break Silence
By Sheikh Sherif Ahmed
Chairman, Islamic Courts Union

The Union of Islamic Courts in Mogadishu, have decided
to break the silence between us and the international
community.Ê We made this decision in order to clarify
the situation in Mogadishu and to bring the true
picture of the conflict in the city and present it to
the international community.

Background

The Islamic courts have been established in Mogadishu
in mid 1998 and are clan-based that serve their
particular communities. For example Polytechnic(for
Shabelle sub clan), Ifka Halane (for the Eary
Sub-Clan), Yaqshid (for the Harti-Abgal sub clan),
Circole (for the Saleban Sub-clan), Milk Factory
(Duduble sub-clan), Al-Furqan (SaÕad sub-clan)
Xariryale and Daynile (Murusade clan), Balad
(Wabudhan-Abgal Sub-Clan) etc.ÊThe main objectives of
these courts to provide a minimum security, law and
order to the communities that established them.ÊThe
courts assume these responsibilities out of patriotism
and service to our people, country and communities.

The Present Conflict

A Retrospective analysis of why the Somali Federal
Government could not locate in the capital city,
Mogadishu was due to the ÒwarlordÓ ministers of the
Somali Federal Government who refused to be engaged in
the Somali peace process and choose to keep the country
hostage. These warlords refused to disarm, surrender
their illegal checkpoints and transform to be national
leaders.Ê

The present conflict has been fueled by the wrong
information given to the US Government by these
warlords who have denied their basic human needs for
security and development and kept the Somali people
hostages and terrorized them for the last 16 years.
Their expertise is to terrorize people and they were
able to use it and terrorize the American government by
misinforming them about the presence of terrorists in
Somalia.Ê These warlords are allegedly supported by
the American government ignores the long criminal
history of these warlords and the war crimes they
committed against their own people.Ê The alleged
support of the US government to these warlords has
considerable contributed to the recent fighting in
Mogadishu and the killing of the Somali people who has
suffered so long in the hand of these warlords.

Finally, after 16 years, the Somali people have decided
to liberate themselves with the leadership of the
Islamic court. The present changes were brought by the
appraisal and refusal of the Somali people the anarchic
situation installed by the warlords and said enough is
enough!

We would also like to address some of the
misinformation and accusations fabricated by the
warlords and wish to provide the international
communities with accurate information that will assist
them to support the desires and the will of our people
who wish to be free form violence and anarchy,

International Terrorism:

1) Somalia is a homogenous society, and any
outsiders can be spot immediately. We are Muslim 100%,
speak the same language and have cultural heritage that
is very hard to understand for outsiders. We have a
complex clan based system that is not easy for
non-Somali to understand, let alone hide in the
country. We categorically deny and reject any
accusation that we are harboring any terrorists or
supporters of terrorism in the areas where the courts
operate.

2) We also confirm that our goals and objectives
are to establishment law and order in our country and
free our people from oppression.

3) We share no objectives, goals or methods with
groups that sponsor or support terrorism. We have no
foreign elements in our courts, and we are simply here
because of the need of the community we serve.

4) We invite the International Community to visit
the area where the court operates and see for
themselves if there are any terrorists elements being
harbored or living in this area. We commit ourselves
and our clan elders to this position: to be open and
honest in order to spare the Somali people the violence
and the suffering being perpetrated by the warlords.
We have nothing to hide from the international
community and we strongly believe that, once they
realize what we do and what we have achieved, they will
support our initiative and efforts to bring peace and
stability to Somalia.

5) There is also the accusation that we intend to
establish an anti-US and Western government in
Somalia. This is not true. Such an agenda is against
our objectives and goals since this would contradict
our wish for there to be a peaceful Somalia. This
falsehood is being fabricated to get support from US
Government by groups who have terrorized the people of
this country for the last 16 years.

6) We want create an environment that could enable
our people to decide their future. We want the Somali
people to decide which form of governance they want and
choose their leaders for the first time in decades.

We would like to summarize our goals and objectives as
follows:

1) To establish a system of governance in
Mogadishu, and remove all the checkpoints and terror
points that the warlords have set up and disarm all
criminal elements that endanger the peace in the city;

2) We want to contribute to the rebuilding of our
country and create a peaceful environment and a country
that is at peace with itself, and with its neighbors
and with the international community.

3) To rehabilitate and rebuild all the city
infrastructures specially those that belong to the city
governments, including its sea ports, airports, road,
bridges, schools, hospitals, universities and have
committees of the intellectuals running and operating
of these facilities;

4) We would like to establish a friendly
relationship with the international community that is
based on mutual respect and interest and seek their
support for the Somali peace process and respect their
desire for peace.

5) We seek support for our communities who have
been denied all the basic human needs such as security,
liberty and development as accepted universally and in
accordance to the human rights laws;

We thank you in advance for your kind patience,
understanding and support.

Sheikh Sherif Ahmed
Chairman, Islamic Courts Union