Somalia
Somalia: Eritrea leader dismisses Al Shabaab connection
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Feb 20, 2010 - 10:58:20 PM

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has rejected categorically claims that his country supports Somali Islamic groups such as Al-Shabaab, which are fighting the UN-backed transition government.

Afwerki said his country has no agenda of backing one Somali group against the other, describing the allegations as distorted facts.

"Our position has always been that we cannot support one group against the other in Somalia ", says the Eritrean leader.

He said the US administration and its backers have failed to achieve their goals in Somalia and horn of Africa but instead embarked on the sanctions against his country to rest the frustrations.

“African countries supported sanctions against my country, IGAD also supported, I can say those supports are weak, because it is used to divide the continent,” he said.

On December, The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions such as an arms embargo on Eritrea imposes travel bans and asset freezes on businesses and individuals, accusing the country of backing Islamist insurgents in Somalia .

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