Somalia: Islamic Courts Union Welcomes New President
Ahmednor Mohamed Farah
1 February 2009
Somalia — The Islamic Courts Union (ICU) have welcomed moderate Islamist cleric Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's election as Somali president Sunday and vowed to support his efforts to restore stability in Somalia.
In a press conference held by the leaders of the Islamic Cours Union in Mogadishu, They congratulated Sheik Sharif on his victory.
"We welcome and support President Sheik Sharif on his victory as the Somali president and we also call for him to fulfill his pledges in working peace and reconciliation," said Abdirahin Isse Adow, the spokesman of the ICU.
"We urge President Sharif to form national security forces starting from the insurgents who have been fighting to get freedom," Abdirahim added.
"We call to those young insurgents to support the peace and stop misinterpretation of Islamic religion," the deputy chairman of the ICU, Sheik Abdulqadir Ali Omar said.
Sheikh Abdulqadir is the local head of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), who remained in the country after the leadership of the ICU fled the country.
Sheik Sharif was the chairman of the Islamic Courts Union which was sent into exile when Ethiopia - the previous US administration's top regional ally - launched a military invasion into Somalia to remove what it saw as extremist Islamic rule on its doorstep.
Al-Islah and Ahlu Sunna Waljaca, moderate Islamist organizations welcomed Sheik Sharif's election as the new president of Somalia.
Clan elders also hailed the victory of the new president and described as a young, active man who can unite the Somali different clans and insugents.
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"You are the man whom we have been waiting for a long time and we think you can make peace with the help of your people," said a clan elder Abukar Osman Sheik.
In other news thousands of Somalis have celebrated in many different neighbourhoods in the capital Mogadishu and other towns in the countryfor the second day to show support for the new president.
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