Plane 'carried Islamists' arms'

2006-07-26 14:21

Mogadishu - Somalia's virtually powerless government said a cargo plane that landed at the capital's airport on Wednesday morning was carrying weapons for Islamic militants who had seized control of much of southern Somalia.

The Ilyushin-76 was only second aircraft able to land at Mogadishu International Airport in more than a decade of anarchy here, demonstrating the Islamic militia's total control of the capital.

A spokesperson for the country's official government, based 250km outside Mogadishu, said the plane was carrying weapons from Eritrea for a militia loyal to the Supreme Islamic Courts Council.

Salad Ali Jeeley said: "I call for the Islamic courts and the Eritrean government to stop igniting a war in Somalia."

Journos told to stop taking pics

After the plane landed, Islamic officials quickly ordered journalists to stop taking photographs and to leave the area immediately. An Ilyushin-76 could carry 52 000kg of cargo.

The relationship between the powerful Islamic militants and Somalia's weak government, which had international support, but no military, had been deteriorating in recent weeks despite the United Nations efforts to arrange peace talks.

The Islamic militia's rise had prompted particular concern in the United States, which accused the group of harbouring al-Qaeda leaders responsible for deadly 1998 bombings at the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

On Tuesday, a UN envoy was in Somalia trying to arrange peace talks in Sudan aimed at avoiding more fighting in Somalia and a potentially bigger conflagration.

The Islamic militia's leader, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, rebuffed the plan, saying he won't negotiate until the government expelled all foreign troops.

'We'll never negotiate with the govt'

According to widespread witness accounts, neighbouring Ethiopia had sent troops here to protect the government.

Aweys said: "Until Ethiopian troops leave Somali soil, we will never negotiate with the government."

Somali government leaders had denied that Ethiopian soldiers were in Somalia, perhaps because they didn't want to appear beholden to the country's traditional rival.

Ethiopia, a largely Christian country, was the longtime enemy of Somalia, which was mostly Muslim. But, Somalia's president had ties to Ethiopia and had asked for its help in the past.

While Aweys ruled out any talks, a more moderate Islamic leader left open the possibility after meeting with Francois Lonseny Fall, the UN special representative to Somalia.

Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed said the group's "peace committee" still had to consider the UN's call for negotiations, which would be held next week in Khartoum.

In an apparent acknowledgement that Ethiopian troops were complicating peace efforts, Fall said: "The UN is always calling on maximum restraint from neighbouring countries and for them not to interfere at this particular moment in Somalia."

- AP