The United States will not deal with Sheikh Hasan Dahir ‘Aweis, the new head of the organization that replaced the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in Somalia, according to a State department spokesman.
“This is somebody who is on a terrorist watch list,” Spokesman Sean McCormack said. “We don’t sacrifice that principle just to try to facilitate some immediate political desires.”
However, McCormack said the U.S. is following the group as a whole. Whether the international community will deal with this group or not depends on whether the Somali group’s collective leadership meets conditions concerning humanitarian aid, fighting terrorism and building up the Transitional Federal Institutions, he said.
The United States is concerned about Al-Qa’ida operatives in Somalia, and does not want the country to become a safe haven for terrorists.
‘Aweis was nominated as chairman of the consultation committee of the ‘Somali Supreme Islamic Courts Council’ (SSICC), a group that will reportedly replace the Islamic Courts Union (ICU).
The ICU has been fighting warlords in Somalia who supposedly enjoy American backing.
The ICU recently seized control of large parts of Somalia, including the capital, Mogadishu. Clashes between the ICU and the warlords over the past few months have left more than three hundred people dead.