NAIROBI, 21 November (IRIN) - The authorities of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, have agreed to adopt Shari'a law after Islamic leaders in the region recommended the move, local sources said.

The announcement was made by the authority after a committee of religious leader met the leader of Puntland, Gen. Muhammed Adde Muse, and recommended that Shari'a law be adopted in the region, Sheikh Fuad Mahamud, a member of the religious leaders said on Tuesday.

"We presented our recommendations that Puntland adopt Shari'a law and the President and his cabinet accepted it," said Sheikh Mahamud.

A local journalist said the announcement followed "intense pressure from Islamic leaders supported by traditional elders" from the region. "He [Muse] has been visiting Galkayo [Mudug region, and close to the border with Islamic court forces] and was told by elders there of the need to adopt Shari'a," said the journalist.

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) controls most of south and central Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu, and has been pressuring Puntland to join it.

Puntland is the home of the interim President Abdullahi Yusuf. On 6 November, fighting broke in the town of Galinsoor, in Mudug region, 780 km north of Mogadishu, between forces of the UIC and those allied with Puntland. The fighting marked the first clashes between forces in Puntland and the UIC and came amid fears that an all-out war in Somalia is imminent.

The fighting occurred just days after peace talks between the UIC and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, collapsed.

Abdirahman Muhammad, Puntland's information minister, said "Puntland already uses some aspects of Shari'a. Marriage, divorce, inheritance, and even murder cases are decided by Shari'a law."

He said that Muse will appoint a committee composed of religious leaders, elders, members of government and civil society, "to come up with the best way of implementing [the law] and which parts of Shari'a to be adopted".

Abdishakur Mire, a former Puntland deputy information minister, said that Muse's decision "was a good one that averted conflict and confrontation. The president [Muse] made a brave decision that united the people of Puntland," he added.

He said the announcement is likely to reduce the tension between the UIC and Puntland, and could lead to Puntland mediating between the TFG and the UIC. "Puntland could now play a role in averting an all-out war in Somalia," said Mire.

Meanwhile, UIC forces moved into the town of Abudwaaq, in Galgadud region, on Tuesday, local residents said. "They are here in force. They arrived this morning, peacefully," said a local resident. Abudwaaq was the only town in Galgadud region which was outside the control of the UIC.

ah/mw

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