Somali insurgents holding Frenchman issue demands

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Islamic insurgents demanded Thursday that France stop supporting Somalia's government and withdraw its warships from anti-piracy patrols in exchange for the release of a French security agent — conditions which the French government immediately rejected.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France-Info radio that Paris' support for the embattled Somali government remains firm, noting he has twice met with Somali President Sheikh Sharif and his ministers, who "represent Somalia.".

The al-Shabab insurgent group, which allegedly has links to al-Qaida, also demanded that France exert pressure to force African Union peacekeepers out of the country and "release all the prisoners of the holy warriors held in many areas, which we will reveal later."

The Frenchman, whose identity has not been released, was seized along with another agent July 14 in the capital, Mogadishu. The pair were in the country to train Somali government forces, which are fighting Islamist militiamen.

The kidnappers separated the two men. The other agent escaped in August while his captors slept.

Al-Shabab this week vowed to retaliate against Western interests for Monday's U.S.-led commando raid in rural southern Somalia that left six dead, including Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, one of the most-wanted al-Qaida operatives in the region.

The use of a helicopter attack rather than a missile strike from the sea or an unmanned Predator drone, suggests that the U.S. wanted to both prevent any civilian deaths and minimize local anger. But al-Shabab vowed swift retaliation.

Foreigners rarely travel to Somalia, which is among the most dangerous countries in the world. The country has not had a functioning government for 18 years since clan warlords overthrew a brutal dictator, then unleashed their militias on each other.

Kidnappings for ransom have been on the rise in recent years, with journalists and aid workers often targeted. Two foreign journalists — Canadian Amanda Lindhout and Australian Nigel Brennan — have been held for a year.

Many experts fear the country's lawlessness could provide a haven for al-Qaida, offering a place for terrorists to train and gather strength — much like Afghanistan in the 1990s. The United States accuses al-Shabab of having ties to the terror network, which al-Shabab denies.

Somalia's lawlessness also has allowed piracy to flourish off its coast, making the Gulf of Aden one of the most dangerous waterways in the world.

Various Islamist groups have been fighting the U.N.-backed government since being chased from power 2 1/2 years ago. Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, sees near-daily battles between government and insurgent forces. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed.