Somalia's Islamic movement orders weapons ban in country

Islamic leaders today ordered Somalis to hand in their weapons, but did not say how they would enforce the directive in a heavily armed country some fear is about to go to war with its neighbour.

The directive, issued by senior Islamic leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and announced on local radio stations, applies to all individuals and business leaders working in areas controlled by the Islamic group.

Many businesses employ heavily armed local militia for security.

It is unclear what punishment will be meted out to those who do not hand in their weapons or why the directive was announced today.

Fears are mounting the Islamic group and the Ethiopian-backed transitional government may go to war as they vie for control of the country.

Only weapons carried by the militia under the control of the Islamic movement are allowed, said the directive.

Somalia is awash with small arms since warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, before turning on each other and carving much of the country into armed camps ruled by violence and clan law.

A government was established two years ago with the support of the UN to serve as a transitional body to help Somalia emerge from anarchy. But the leadership, which includes some warlords linked to the violence of the past, wields no real power outside the western city of Baidoa.

The Islamic council, meanwhile, has been steadily gaining ground since seizing the capital, Mogadishu, in June. The United States has accused the group of sheltering suspects in the 1998 al-Qaida bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which it denies.

With fears Somalia could once again be plunged into war, African diplomats have proposed a regional peacekeeping force, which the Islamic group bitterly oppose, to try to restore order.

The International Crisis Group, an independent think tank, today said in a report that the deployment of peacekeepers could plunge the nation into all-out war.

The Belgium-based group said a draft resolution supporting regional peacekeepers would be presented to the UN Security Council Wednesday by the US However, the US State Department says while it supports the idea of a peacekeeping force it was not presenting a resolution.

Meanwhile 20 youngsters were arrested and curfew was imposed after they protested the shutting down by Islamic militia of a video hall where they were watching football in central Somalia.