Islamists who have taken control of Mogadishu and a wide swathe of Somalia said on Friday they had no plans to start their own government and promised to crack down on extremists in their midst.
Seeking to counter accusations from their vanquished rivals, a now-broken warlord coalition that styled itself as a counterterrorism force, the Islamists say they are interested in bringing security and peace to the anarchic nation.
"We have no intention of creating something on our own. We want to concentrate on bringing stability and security," Islamic Courts Union deputy Chairman Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar told foreign journalists in the Somali capital at the courts' invitation.
"Then we are ready for dialogue and discussion in the future. We are not here to form our own government," Omar said. He said Islam would play a role in any administration, but sought to quell fears the courts plan to create an Islamic state.