Shebab
militants ride vehicles during a show of force in Mogadishu on October,
21, 2010. Somalia's hardline Islamist Shebab rebels dismissed a key
donor conference due to open in Brussels as "Belgian waffle" and a waste
of time. (AFP/File)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Shebab said in a statement on Twitter that "the billions
promised will most likely be unpaid, the paltry sum given to the
apostates," its term for the Somali government, "will be lost in
corruption".
"It's a bit like Belgian Waffles: sweet on the
outside but really has not much substance to it. They are just hollow
promises of Kufr", or infidels, the group said.
Some 50 high-level
delegations from Africa, Europe, the Gulf and elsewhere are expected
for the "New Deal in Somalia" event, bringing together President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud, other Somali leaders, world aid groups and global
finance institutions.
But Shebab, who are fighting to overthrow
the internationally-backed government, said that "conferences never
really had any meaningful impact on the ground here in Somalia and this
one will be no different".
"It's a waste of effort," the group said.