Senior UIC Leader Holds Talks with Elders in Beledweyne City

Hiiraan Online
Sunday June 29, 2008

Col. Omar Hashi Adam

Beled Weyne (HOL) - Col. Omar Hashi Adam who is among the senior leaders of the ARS and comes from Hiiraan Region held talks with elders from the region a day after Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) forces seized control of the city from the regional administration appointed by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia.

Col. Omar Hashi Adam told the elders of the region that the purpose of their arrival in the city is to liberate the region from the enemy that has invaded the region and that their immediate goal is bring security and not a hasty establishment of an administration.

“The truth is that the administrations appointed to this region and other regions in the country have to be approved by Col. Gabre (the commander of Ethiopian troops in Somalia) who is the most powerful individual in the TFG. It is only with the blessing of Col. Gabre the TFG can appoint a governor. We, on the other hand, will set up an administration with the blessings of Allah and leaders who have faith (in Islam)” added Col. Hashi.

Col. Hashi also talked about the process of bringing security to the region by saying that it is important, first and foremost, to establish civilian security forces who secure the region and combat groups that are determined to kill and rob innocent civilians although he did not elaborate on who he was referring to. He added that the goal of the civilian security forces will only be to strengthen the security of the region and that they will not collect taxes from the people.

After he finished his presentation, Col. Hashi was asked question including some related to the relationship between the UIC and Al-Shabab Movement. In response to a question about any relationship between the UIC and Al-Shabab, Col. Hashi responded by saying “I do not wish to point finger to a particular group but I can tell you that we will not permit unlawful killings and if you know of a group that engages in unlawful killings, I urge you to wage war against them but I do not find it helpful to come to a hasty conclusion about any particular group.”

There were also other senior officials from the UIC present at the meeting. At the end of the meeting there was an agreement to immediately develop and implement a plan to bring security, law and order to the region.

Col. Hashi’s speech in city marks the fifth and last city in the region that remained in the hands of the TFG administration.

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