(Press TV)The Somali government has signed a cooperation framework deal with commanders of the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama'a militia group.
Ahead of an expected military push against militants threatening to topple the government, representatives of the two sides signed a power-sharing deal at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu reported.
According to the deal, Ahlu Sunnah would be given five as yet undetermined ministries and would appoint deputy commanders of the military, the police, and the intelligence service, Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said.
Welcoming the agreement, he stated, "The peace deal is a part of the open door strategy of the Transitional Federal Government to genuine national reconciliation."
He added that the government aims to politically and militarily integrate Ahlu Sunnah into the Transitional Federal Government in the framework of the Djibouti peace process.
The agreement is an essential step in the strategy to restore peace and stability to the country, the Somali prime minister added.
Delegations from the African Union, the Arab League, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference attended the signing ceremony.
Somalia has had no effective government for 19 years. At least 21,000 Somalis have been killed since the start of 2007, 1.5 million have been uprooted from their homes, and nearly half a million are refugees in other countries in the region.