Islamists oppose UN talks By Simon Tisdall

A successor organisation to the Islamic Courts, the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia was launched in Asmara late last year. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed became its chairman. Western diplomats regard him as a moderate who may hold the key to national reconciliation. But Sharif, 44, is viewed with suspicion by an older generation of hardliners and some youthful militants. Diverging approaches have provoked speculation about a looming power struggle.