A senior U.S. State Department official is threatening sanctions against any Somalis who work against the peace process in Somalia.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, said after a day-long visit to Somalia Sunday that the United States will take action against those he calls “spoilers” who impede efforts to draw up a new constitution and elect a new president.
Carson said the sanctions would include a travel ban and an asset freeze and would apply to those in the government as well those outside of it.
Somalia is facing an August 20 deadline to implement a roadmap for a new government. The country has been without a stable central government since 1991, and hopes for an end to the violence there ended with the retreat of US forces in 1993, in the first battle against al-Qaeda, better known as "Black Hawk Down."
President Ahmed said the high-level visit shows that Somalia's security situation is improving and ties with the U.S. are strengthening.
Somali and African Union peacekeeping forces have had limited success against al-Shabab — Islamist terrorists, affiliated with al-Qaeda and Somali pirates, who have been fighting to turn Somalia into a Islamist state.
The United States is offering $33 million for information on the whereabouts of seven al-Shabab leaders. The State Department says the group is responsible for the killing of thousands of Somali civilians, peace activists, international aid workers, journalists, and AU peacekeepers. It says al-Shabab threatens the stability of East Africa and the national security interests of the United States. VoA.
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