UN envoy denies Islamist is head of Somalia opposition

United Nations: Somalia's hard-line Islamist Shaikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has not taken over the country's exiled opposition, a senior US ambassador said.

Aweys, who is on the UN list of Al Qaida associates, is claiming to have become the new chairman of the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS).

"He was not not elected," said UN special ambassador for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said, adding that Shaikh Sharif Ahmed remained ARS's legitimate leader.

The Somali government and some members of the ARS initialed a deal in Djibouti last month calling for the deployment of UN peacekeepers and agreeing to a ceasefire after a month. Aweys and other Islamists rejected the pact.

Meanwhile, Ould-Abdallah said he has been negotiating with countries and UN officials about preparatory plans for a possible peacekeeping operation in Somalia.

It was not clear yet which countries would be willing to send troops, though he said it was unlikely any Western forces would take part.