Somali Islamist leader ends exile

Somalia's Islamist opposition leader has returned to the Horn of Africa nation after spending two years in neighbouring Eritrea, an Islamist group has said.Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is on the US list of terrorism suspects for his alleged links to al-Qaeda, arrived in Somalia on Thursday, according to Hizbul Islam, an umbrella group of four organisations, including the one that Aweys heads.Aweys, the head of the Islamic Courts Union, which took control of large parts of the country in its battle against the interim government, still wields significant influence over some fighters.Omar Abubukar, leader of Hizbul Islam, said: "[Aweys] will be staying with us, and we shall be having discussions on the current political situation in Somalia."Aweys landed at an airstrip 50km from the capital, Mogadishu, witnesses said.Abubukar did not say how long Aweys would stay in Somalia. Aweys denies any link to terrorism.