Officials say top Islamic leader in Somalia surrenders, is under Kenyan protection

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) _ A leader of Somalia's ousted Islamic movement seen by the U.S. as a moderate who could help prevent widespread insurgency there has surrendered to Kenyan authorities, officials

Monday, January 22nd 2007, 6:35 am

By: News On 6

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) _ A leader of Somalia's ousted Islamic movement seen by the U.S. as a moderate who could help prevent widespread insurgency there has surrendered to Kenyan authorities, officials said Monday.

Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, described by a U.S. diplomat as someone who could play a role in reconciling Somali factions, crossed into Kenya on Sunday and went to a police station along the border. He was then flown to Nairobi, according to a police report seen by The Associated Press.

The report said Kenyan authorities were protecting Ahmed, who apparently feared for his life in Somalia where the remnants of his Council of Islamic Courts are being hunted by Ethiopian and Somali government forces. It was not immediately clear whether he faced possible deportation and imprisonment in Somalia.

The U.S. said it was not involved in protecting Ahmed.

``The U.S. government is not holding or interrogating Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and was not involved in his capture or surrender,'' a U.S. Embassy official said. The official, who was not authorized to talk to the media, spoke on condition of anonymity.

U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger has repeatedly said Ahmed is a moderate Islamic leader who should be part of a national reconciliation process in Somalia.

Ahmed was chairman of the Executive Council of Islamic Courts and shared leadership with Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, chairman of the group's legislative council. While Ahmed is considered a moderate, Aweys is on a U.S. list of people with suspected ties to the al-Qaida, though he has repeatedly denied links to international terrorists.

If Ahmed agrees to hold talks with Somalia's government, it could be a major step toward preventing the widespread insurgency that many Islamic leaders have promised in Somalia.

The European Union urged Somalia's government to hold talks with moderate Islamist leaders and other factions to find a lasting peace settlement. EU foreign ministers urged Somali factions to seize ``a window of opportunity'' to find a sustainable solution.

EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said failure to hold ``inclusive talks'' with all other political factions would sink efforts to stabilize the impoverished country.

``It is the only way to get long-term stability and peace in Somalia,'' Michel told reporters in Brussels, Belgium.

Somali troops, with crucial aid from neighboring Ethiopia, drove the Council of Islamic Courts out of the capital and much of southern Somalia last month. But violence has been breaking out due to traditional clan rivalries and resentment among Somalis over the presence of Ethiopia.

Somalia, a Muslim country, and Ethiopia, with its large Christian population, fought a brutal war in 1977.

On Sunday, Somalia's government spokesman, Abdirahman Dinari, said Kenya has handed over 34 Islamic militiamen, and some may be senior leaders of the Islamic movement.

Also Monday, Ethiopian troops killed three civilians in an area where Ethiopian forces have been attacked in recent days, a witness said.

The troops were firing at several gunmen who were trying to hide in a house in the Hurwa district, said Mustaf Hassan Ali, who saw the shooting in the neighborhood, considered a hotbed of sympathizers for the Islamic movement.

``The Ethiopians fired at the civilians when unknown gunmen sought refuge in their house,'' Ali said.

The government has invited African peacekeepers to help provide security in Somalia, but they are unlikely to come if fighting continues. African Union officials approved an 8,000-peacekeeper mission on Friday.

Malawi said Monday it plans to deploy hundreds of troops to the AU force _ either a whole or a half battalion.

Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991 when warlords overthrew a dictator and turned on each other. The government was formed two years ago with the help of the United Nations, but was weakened by internal rifts.

The intervention of Ethiopia prompted a military advance that was a stunning turnaround for the administration, which is struggling to assert control in this chaotic country.