Former Somalia President Warns Against Handing 10/6/2009

Former Somalia President Mr. Abdikasim Salad Hasan has warned against giving an excuse to foreign troops to invade and take over Somalia.

Speaking to Simba radio in Mogadishu, the former President said that the continuing bloodshed in Somalia, particularly in Mogadishu, is meaningless and highlighted the fact that each side in the conflict is claiming to be
Muslims fighting for a right cause.

“According to the saying of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), if two Muslims fight, both the killer and the killed will go to hell” said the former President who called on the two warring sides to stop the fighting and be kind to the
civilians being caught in the crossfire.

The former President said that people should use reason and understand that the fighting would not resolve any of their differences. “Somalis have suffered under a brutal civil war in the last 19 years and can no longer tolerate more fighting, therefore I advise the warring sides to resolve their differences through negotiations and peaceful means” said the former President.

The former President concluded his remarks by saying that he continuously stays in touch with the leaders of the two sides who are fighting and expressed hope that efforts to end the conflict through peaceful means being conducted both inside and outside the country would bear fruit.