The leader of the Islamist Al-Shabaab movement in Somalia, whose forces have been fighting Somali government forces for the past weeks, has overnight given Somali government forces and officials an ultimatum of five days to surrender or face Islamic prosecutions.

The Somali government dismissed the group's statement as meaningless and called for the groups' leader to join the peace process.

Speaking in an audio tape, secluded Emir of Al-Shabaab, Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zuhyar, said the current Somali government's imminent collapse was inevitable, called government forces to surrender their weapons and threatened to put government officials on what he termed an Islamic Court.

The Somali government have dismissed the statement of the Al-Shabaab leader who it said was in hiding and fighting for his survival.

Source: Xinhua