Somalia president accuses Eritrea of arming Islamists

From Sudan Tribune, Thursday 28 May 2009:
Somalia president accuses Eritrea of arming Islamists

May 27, 2009 (MOGADISHU) — Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Wednesday accused for the first time Eritrea of arming Islamists fighting to throw out his government.

Yesterday the insurgents launched mortar shells on his palace.

"We know for sure that the majority of the weapons in the hands of the insurgents are coming from Eritrea," he told reporters from his residence which is heavily protected by the African peacekeepers.

"Eritrea is very much involved here... We know that Eritrean officers come here and bring money in cash."

The Eritrean officials rejected these accusations saying their country has been falsely accused of supplying arms to the Somali militants.

However, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, an insurgent leader who returned to Mogadishu recently from Asmara where he was established, admitted last week that Eritrea supported them in their fight to topple the Somali government.

The Africa Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on Friday May 22 called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to sanction Eritrea for supporting Somali Islamist insurgents.

The Security Council also in a statement on May 15 expressed its concern about reports that Eritrea has supplied arms to those opposing the government of Somalia.