By MOHAMED SHEIKH NOR
Associated Press Writer
Sunday, November 05, 2006
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Against the wishes of the fractured government, Somalia's most powerful lawmaker and 25 other members of parliament arrived in the capital Sunday to hold talks with Islamic militants who control much of the chaotic nation.
The visit, led by Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden, exposes a deep rift within an administration that has watched helplessly as the Council of Islamic Courts has taken over much of the country, including Mogadishu.
"I come here for peace, and I decided to do my best to help Somalis come together," Aden said in a brief news conference with Islamic leader Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys.
The trip comes days after peace talks with the Islamists collapsed in Khartoum, Sudan.
On Saturday, the transitional government urged Aden "not to go to Mogadishu before he consults with the government delegation to the Khartoum talks."
"All we want is to form a unified position," the government said in a statement.
Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a dictator and then turned on one another.
Experts warn that Somalia could become a proxy battleground for neighboring Eritrea and Ethiopia, which split in a 1961-91 civil war and fought a 1998-2000 border war. Eritrea supports the Islamic militia, while Ethiopia backs the interim government.
A confidential U.N. report obtained by The Associated Press last week said 6,000-8,000 Ethiopian troops were in Somalia or along the border. It also said 2,000 soldiers from Eritrea were inside Somalia. Eritrea denies having any troops there, while Ethiopia insists it has sent only a few hundred advisers.
Source: AP, Nov 5, 2006