Lift arms embargo, prime minister says

Somalia's transitional federal government (TFG) wants an international arms embargo against the country lifted to enable it to train security forces to protect the government and its citizens.

Reacting to Monday's takeover of the port city of Kismayo by the Union of Islamic courts (UIC), Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Gedi told a news conference in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, that the UIC's move was an act of aggression.

"The UIC did it without any humanitarian concern," he said. "The UIC has even gone as far as destroying national signs by bringing down the flag in Kismayo after they took over the town."

Gedi said the takeover was in violation of a ceasefire agreement signed recently between the TFG and the UIC in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Gedi also condemned last week's killing of an Italian nun in the capital, Mogadishu, and an assassination attempt on President Abdullahi Yusuf on 18 September.

He said these were acts of "terrorists linked to al-Qaeda. The attacks were aimed at destroying the TFG and the Somali nation."

The international community should support the TFG to stop the expansion of terrorism in this part of the world, he said. He accused the UIC of importing illegal weapons, explosives and troops into Somali territory.

The UIC is encouraging a culture of oppression by curtailing freedom of speech, movement and entertainment in Somalia, he said.

"This new situation in Somalia is a matter of life and death," he said.

"There is an explosion of fundamentalism which will affect the region, the continent and the world at large unless collective effort is put in place."

However, he said, the TFG was still committed to peace talks with the UIC although "fighting cannot go hand in hand with the peace talks.

"We have the right and responsibility to protect the government and people of Somalia," he said.

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