Somali govt offers amnesty
2007-06-20 06:37
Mogadishu - Somalia has offered amnesty to former members of a radical Islamic group that ruled much of the country's south for six months last year, saying it was a sign of goodwill ahead of a planned peace conference.
The announcement came hours after the president's spokesperson was shot and wounded in the neck while he was stuck in a traffic jam. It was the latest assassination attempt on a government official in this chaotic nation.
It was not clear how many prisoners would be released or when.
Somali Justice Minister Hasan Dhimbil Farah said the amnesty would not affect those with "direct links with the internationally wanted terrorists and those who continue to pursue violence".
Insurgents, along with clan militiamen, have been battling government and Ethiopian forces since they drove the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts, from Mogadishu six months ago.
More than 1 000 civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
- SAPA