Addis Ababa, (Somalilandpress) — Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) signed an agreement with the country’s religious army, the Ahlu Sunna WalJamaa, in Addis Ababa Friday, in which the two groups agreed to form a joint government and set up a common military command.
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is expected to appoint – from the Ahlu Sunna WalJamaa (ASWJ) – five ministers, five assistant ministers, five directors-general for state firms and five director’s-general to lead various ministries, according to the agreement, a copy of which was seen by PANA Friday.
The Somali army will also include three deputy army commanders from the ASWJ, to be posted to the various state security organs,including the National Army and the Police force, in addition to the setting up of a joint military command. These must be established within the next 30 days.
Somali’s Deputy Prime Minister Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and the Ahlu Sunna WalJamaa’s Spiritual leader, Sheikh Mahmoud Sheikh Hassan, signed the agreement in Addis Ababa, witnessed by the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the UN Political Office for Somalia.
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The agreement also offers Ahlu Sunna WalJamaa three ambassadorial posts, three consular officers, military attaches, commercial attaches and cultural attaches.
TFG agreed to recognize the areas under the rule of ASWJ control and it will set up police presence in those areas where it has control. Its administration would be supported and offered legal recognition.
The agreement was part of negotiations that started in Nairobi in June 2009, following the signing of earlier agreements in Djibouti, which created the present TFG.
ASWJ has pledged to help the government to fight the Islamic militant group, the Al Shabab, which has been fighting to remove the TFG from power.
The signing of the agreement in Addis Ababa means that the TFG would still face up the Al Shabab and Hizbul Islam as its two main rivals.
Source: Ethiopian Journal, 21st February 2010
More problems more problems, by tonight half of his so called ministers will resign or either protest, I dont think those sufis (Ahlu Sunna WalJamaa) will be welcomed. Even though they claim to be "moderate and peaceful" we all seen how they murder and kill their opponents when given the chance. They just keep quiet because they are powerless they are as evil as Al Shabab and soon the Somali people of Somalia will discover.
Sheikh Sharif is selling you to sufism we look forward to you spinning in circles while your affairs spin in turbalance.
Thank God we left them.
Finally it looks like the South is uniting and eventually will be governed by one govt the first time in 20 years. So, the "Somalilanders" have to prepare for some serious talk with that govt instead of ignoring it. It'll benefit both parties.
Step in the right direction. Look out Alshababe, your days are numbered.
I honestly could work if political control was surrendered from the federal apparatus to the regional one. if President Aden doesn't insist on being the one completely in charge and having a central system then it is possible that this could work. But if they just jostle for the top position it will be like all the other failures.