African leaders on Tuesday expressed grave concern about the security situation in Somalia and the threat posed to the transitional federal government and the people of Somalia particularly by the influx of foreign armed rebels.

The leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) voiced their concern during an extraordinary meeting in Sirte, Libya on Tuesday evening, on the eve of the 13th Africa Union (AU) Summit, said a statement released after the meeting.

Somalia's cabinet declared a state of emergency on June 20 and the parliament speaker asked neighbouring nations to send troops to help the government amid intensified infighting in the capital.

The leaders welcomed a declaration of cooperation signed on June 21 between the transitional government of Somalia and the Sunni Islamist group Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaa during which the two sides agreed to cooperate in politics, peace and security and development, the statement said.

The Islamist group, which observes the Suffi tradition of Islam, have recently taken up arms for the first time in Somalia's 20-year civil war after they have been subjected to violence by the Islamic extremist groups of Al-Shabab and Hezbul Islam.

The IGAD leaders also affirmed the importance of the proposals by IGAD ministers on May 20, particularly the request made on the imposition of a no-fly zone and the blockading of identified airports and seaports in Somalia.

They also underlined the significance of "targeted sanctions against all those, particularly Eritrea, who continue to pose obstacles to peace and stability in Somalia through the provision of assistance to the extremists including foreign forces who continue to cause mayhem in Somalia."

The leaders expressed appreciation to Uganda and Burundi troops for their peacekeeping in Somalia, urging other countries which have pledged contribution to the Africa Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, known as AMISOM, to deploy without further delay to attain its required strength of 8,000 forces.

They called on international humanitarian organizations to urgently move in and provide humanitarian assistance to the suffering Somali people and urged all the neighboring countries to provide safe corridors for humanitarian deliveries.

In early June, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement that about 96,000 Somalis have been displaced by the latest fighting in the bullet-riddled Mogadishu which began last month in the Horn of Africa nation.

The rebel group Hezbul Islam (Islamic Party) and an allied hardline group Al-habaab have been locked in fierce battles with pro-government forces that have displaced more than 96,000 civilians since May 8.

The UN Security Council including the Africa Union and Somalia neighbors have condemned the recent resurgence in fighting in the Horn of Africa nation, and called for the end of all hostilities.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member UNSC body has authorized an extension of the mandate of AMISOM, until Jan. 31, 2010.

Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991 after former President Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown in a coup d'etat, leaving the Horn of Africa state in constant warfare ever since.

Source: Xinhua