Somalia OKs Islam as basis of law for country

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali Cabinet voted to make Islam the basis of the country's legal system on Tuesday in a bid to undercut an increasingly fractured Islamic insurgency.

The move was an attempt to isolate more extreme elements of the insurgency by agreeing to a demand supported by more moderate elements and much of the Somali population.

Several more moderate insurgent groups had said they would stop fighting the government if Shariah was formally introduced. The al-Shabab group, which controls the main cities in the south, has said it does not recognize the legitimacy of the government and is seen as waging a battle to seize direct control of the country. Information Minister Farhan Ali Mohamed said imposing Shariah would help end insurgent attacks

Thousands of Somalis have been killed in battles between the insurgents and pro-government forces in the past two years. The fighting has been complicated by a web of clan militias, the involvement of neighboring countries and freelance bandits who prey on civilians.

Nongovernmental Islamic courts are one of the few functioning institutions in the chaotic Horn of Africa nation, which has been without an effective central government since clan leaders overthrew a socialist dictator in 1991.