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Somalia: Islamists takeover weapons and militia in Kismayo
Wed. September 27, 2006 10:11 am. -
Mohamed Abdi Farah
(SomaliNet) The deputy leader of the collapsed Juba Valley Coalition and member of the transitional parliament Yusuf Mire Serar handed over partly his weapons to the Islamic Courts that took control of Kismayo, a port city in southern Somalia on Monday.
The handover has taken place in public in Kismayo city on Wednesday, local official said.
“I have let 18 battle wagons to the Islamic Courts in the city in return of peace and security,” Mire said adding that he had voluntarily give his weapons to Islamists after understanding the importance of peace and stability.
Senior Islamic officials who have today reached Kismayo addressed the occasion of the weapons’ handover, saying this was part of stabilizing operations in south of Somalia and will continue to extend more lands.
Earlier reports say that Mire Serar, former warlord rejected to devolve his weapons to Islamists but later he accepted the deal after the arrival of top Islamist officials from Mogadishu city.
“Also 300 of my militiamen joined the Islamic Courts and I did so to get peace and security because I understand that Islamic Courts made big changes to the capital and also in other key towns in the country,” Mire told the reporters in Kismayo, the third largest city in Somalia.
For the last seven years, Kismayo has been under the control of former Juba Valley Coalition that contained of three Somali allied warlords who had captured the city from former warlord Mohamed Saed Morgan.
Yusuf Mire Serar said his intention to delegate the rest of his weapons and militia to Islamic Court in the near future.
Union of Islamic Courts have posed restrict laws to Kismayo city like banning the import and trade of the Khat narcotic leaves. The city is still under curfew imposed by Islamists to step up the security after violent demonstrations in the city following bringing down Somali flag by Islamic Courts.
The Islamists hardliners continue to seize more lands while the shaky government in Baidoa watches them motionlessly.
News Category: Somalia
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