Leaders of the Somali factions call on Washington to release al-Barakat Bank assets

The participants in the Somali conference for national reconciliation in Aldourit, Kenya yesterday called on Washington to release the assets of the Somali al-Barakat bank whose sums were frozen one year ago following the events of September 11, 2001 in the USA.

One of the main leaders of the Somali factions Hassan Ali Ato called on the governments of the USA, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to release sums of al-Barakat Bank which have been frozen in their respective countries to help in dealing with the lack deteriorating security conditions and the deteriorated economic situation in Somalia.

Meantime, the provisional Somali government and main heads of factions called on the international community in a joint statement to chop the names of all other Somali citizens or groups from any international list against terrorism in case that there is no legal reason to keep them so." On November 2001, Washington froze the assets of al-Barakat bank in the USA.

This decision to which was obliged the world countries, and forced the said Somali group to close all its offices in Makadishu.