Somalia: an Islamic leader threatens holy war against peace keeping forces

Chairman of the Islamic court to the south of Somalia, Sheikh Hassan Daher Oweis, on Thursday threatened to launch a holy war if the African Union sends a peace keeping force to inaugurate the government which takes Kenya as a headquarters.

The Somali government which could not hold its meeting in Mogadishu because of the security conditions asked the African Union to dispatch peace keeping forces to the capital. The African leaders vowed to send 6800 troops to support the new government which is composed of warlords and group leaders.

Oweis who was accused by the US of involvement in terrorist activities in Mogadishu said his gunmen will fight "to death" the peace forces which will be deployed shortly in Mogadishu where a civil war has been continuous since 14 years.

Owesi added "we will fight fiercely to death any intervention force arriving in Somalia." Qweis called on the UN, the Arab league, the African union and IGAD ( the government's authority for development), and the African union not to support the plan of deploying foreign forces "that will increase destabilizing stability in Somalia."