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Geddi was confident that the rebels would be routed soon

By Mohamed D. Mohamed

Wednesday February 14, 2007

 

Nairobi (HOL)-Somali’s Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi held a press conference in Nairobi yesterday declining to give the breakdown of Kenyans in his country after being arrested on the border while fleeing from Somalia.

 

They were accused of fighting on the side of the Islamic Courts Union against a combined force of Somali government and Ethiopian forces.

 

The PM told a news conference at the Somali embassy in Nairobi: “Those elements who were caught were deported to Somalia, we are still screening them because most had double nationality.”

 

Mr Ghedi disclosed that they had already handed over four suspects holding British passports, to the British authorities. He did not elaborate.

 

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Somali Foreign assistant minister Ismail Hurre Buba and Somali ambassador Mohamed Ali Nur attended the conference. 

 

Local human rights groups have claimed that 41 people were deported from Kenya to Mogadishu, last month, to face charges related to terrorism.

 

The activists maintain that several Kenyans and many other nationalities were among the 41 deportees. 

 

They described the arrests, detentions and deportations as illegal, unconstitutional and contravening international protocols.

 

Defending the action, the premier said all the suspects were being allowed visits by their relatives and would be handed over to their respective governments once their nationalities were verified.

 

Meanwhile, Mr Ghedi maintained that the TFG had made a lot of progress in restoring law and order since the ouster of the Islamists.

 

He said his Government had taken over most parts of the country and was in the process of holding a national reconciliation congress soon to entrench the peace process further at the grassroots. 

 

Latest escalations in the capital Mogadishu and Kismayu.

 

The prime minister admitted that some parts of the country, such as Kismayu, were still unstable because of a handful of insurgents. He was confident that the rebels would be routed soon.

 

The PM said they were expecting the African Union to deploy peacekeeping troops within the next few weeks. 

 

Later, Mr Ghedi visited Nation journalists Yasin Juma and Samoe Athman at Nairobi Hospital, and wished them quick recovery.

 

The two were involved in a road accident while on official duty in Somalia last month.

 

Mohamed Dubo Mohamed is a new reporter for Hiiraan Online based in Nairobi

 

Source: HOL, Feb 14,  2007