Somalia reiterates opposition to Kenya incursion

Somali government on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to the Kenyan incursion into Somalia to fight Islamist militants, saying the national army should carry out the offensive. In a joint press conference in the Somali capital, the Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Prime Minister Abdelweli Mohamed Ali, and Defense Minister Hussien Arab Isse, repeated the Somali government's stance that it opposes the Kenyan troops presence in the country. "We want our troops to be the ones fighting al Shabaab and Kenyan forces to support us only in training and logistics in fighting the anti-peace groups," said Somali President flanked on both sides by his Prime Minister and the minister for defense during press briefing in the Somali capital Mogadishu. The Somali officials thanked the Kenyan government for their support for the transitional federal government. Somali defense minister Isse said that Kenya and Somalia have a "long history of friendship and cooperation that continues to this day". "Kenya had long been effective supporter of peace and stability in Somalia. The transitional federal charter that created the TFG was agreed to in Kenya and Kenya have long been a leading advocate of having the international community assist the stabilization and rebuilding of our country," the defense minister said in a statement. The statement comes days after Somali president first expressed opposition to Kenyan troop incursion into Somalia to battle with Islamist Al Shabaab militant that it accuses of carrying out abductions of foreigners within its borders. Somali government said it was forming a high level committee led by the Somali prime minister to discuss with the Kenyan government about the military operations in Somalia. The Somali prime minister for his part said that the recent communiqué issued following the visit by two key Kenyan ministers to Mogadishu outlined strategic partnership between the two countries in the fight against militancy, and piracy in Somali. Kenya also said on Wednesday it has sought clarification from Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) on its position over the cross border incursions aimed at dismantling the militia group, al-Shabaab, in south of the lawless nation. Kenya Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti said it was essential to have a unified approach in dealing with the instability in Somalia posed by al-Shabaab elements and its threats to peace and security in neighboring Kenya.