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United Nations: Somalia's hard-line Islamist Shaikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has not taken over the country's exiled opposition, a senior US ambassador said.
Aweys, who is on the UN list of Al Qaida associates, is claiming to have become the new chairman of the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS).
"He was not not elected," said UN special ambassador for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said, adding that Shaikh Sharif Ahmed remained ARS's legitimate leader.
The Somali government and some members of the ARS initialed a deal in Djibouti last month calling for the deployment of UN peacekeepers and agreeing to a ceasefire after a month. Aweys and other Islamists rejected the pact.
Meanwhile, Ould-Abdallah said he has been negotiating with countries and UN officials about preparatory plans for a possible peacekeeping operation in Somalia.
It was not clear yet which countries would be willing to send troops, though he said it was unlikely any Western forces would take part.
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