Somalia: Hawiye spokesman detained
Sun. November 11, 2007 03:59 pm.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article
(SomaliNet) Somali’s Hawiye clan spokesman Ahmed Dirie Ali and other clan members have been arrested on Sunday by the security forces of the transitional government – as all business activities and key roads in the Somalia capital Mogadishu were closed due to the ongoing security missions aimed to crack down the repel insurgents.
The leader of Hawiye traditional council Mohamed Hassan Haad confirmed the local media about the news of the arrest and condemned the move by the government as intolerable.
The Ethiopian forces along with the interim government troops carried out today join operations blocking all the main roads in the capital in search for suspects.
The military missions had an impact on the fleeing people to escape the fighting.
“The government soldiers with a number of battle wagons stormed this morning the house of the spokesman and took Ahmed Dirie and two of his sons and Sheik Ahmed Ali Gees, a member of the council,” said Haad.
It is not yet clear whereabouts the spokesman and other the arrested members.
Mr. Haad said before they were arrested, there were threats coming from the Banadir provincial authority and security intelligence officials. “We knew that the Banadir officials warned us to stay away from talking about the Mogadishu crisis and that is an indication for their threat,”
He said the arrest on the spokesman will not have an impact on the Hawiye Council activities.
He also described the latest military operations by the Ethiopians in Somalia capital as sort of carnage against the civilians.
