53 killed as battle rages in Somalia

Publication Date: 7/3/2008
MOGADISHU, Wednesday

At least 53 people were killed in Somalia when Islamist insurgents clashed with Ethiopian troops and Ugandan peacekeepers in separate battles, a human rights group said today.

The latest flare-up in the 18-month-old insurgency came a week before a UN-mediated ceasefire between an Islamist faction and the interim Somali government is to take effect.

The interim government and Ethiopia both declined comment on the clashes or any casualties.

Hardline Islamists have been waging an almost daily Iraq-style insurgency against the interim government and its Ethiopian backers since they were ousted from Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia in 2007.

“A total of 47 people died yesterday in central Somalia and in the capital Mogadishu last night,”

Ahmed Sudan, chairman of the Mogadishu-based Elman Peace and Human Rights organisation, told Reuters 47 people were killed on Tuesday and overnight in central Somalia and Mogadishu. He said six more had since died of their wounds.

Sudan said 11 civilians were killed when Islamists ambushed Ethiopian troops and Ugandan peacekeepers in the capital Mogadishu overnight, while dozens of others were wounded.

Another 36 people, including civilians and insurgents, were killed when rebels struck an Ethiopian troop convoy in Mataban, 410 km north of the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Among the dead on Tuesday were Moalim Farhan, commander of the militant group that attacked the convoy, and Abdullahi Ali Farah, also known as Sheikh Aspro, a spokesman for the insurgents told Reuters. Aspro is deputy to hardline Islamist Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is on US and UN lists of al Qaeda associates.

“We buried 27 Somalis,” shopkeeper Ismail Olad told Reuters from Mataban. “We do not know the number of Ethiopians killed.” Somalia has been mired in anarchy, functioning without a central government since the fall of a dictator in 1991. Piracy has become an increasing problem in its waters.

A Somali ship was hijacked on Sunday near El-Ma’an sea port, close to Mogadishu.

“The ship, MV Solsea, was on its way to tow another Somali fishing vessel which developed mechanical problems near El-Ma’an when pirates seized it,” Andrew Mwangura, director of the Kenyan Seafarers Assistance Programme, told Reuters.

Are still held captive

Three Germans are still held captive by Somali pirates in a forest near the Gulf of Aden in the northern Puntland region, while five Somalis working for an Italian aid agency, who were seized on Monday, are still in captivity.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF called on the world to act to avert famine in Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa. It said acute malnutrition rates in Somalia were now above 20 per cent. (Reuters)

The heavily armed gang stormed the Dadajabulla Police Post on Saturday night, released suspects, injured two police officers and escaped in a police vehicle.

The militiamen, numbering more than 50, also seized five rifles and ammunition. Nine prisoners, including three suspected terrorists, escaped with the attackers in the 9pm attack.Witnesses said they suspected the militia to be members of a group calling themselves Al Shabaab.

The attack came two days after the Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, assured Kenyans that all borders were safe.

The injured police officers were taken to the Dadaab District Hospital and arrangements were being made to fly them to Nairobi for further treatment.

The attack, it is believed, was prompted by the arrest of three suspected terrorists from a bus that was headed for Wajir from Garissa.

Administration Police officers had at about 4pm screened the bus and detained the three over what they termed terrorism links.This was after one suspect wearing a buibui usually worn by women was found. Their mission in the area could not be established.

A passenger in the bus said one man identified himself as a British national whenever they were stopped at roadblocks. Sources said two of the suspects were traveling as Said Haret and Hashim Saleh. It was not clear by last night what their real names were.

The officers contacted their seniors at the nearby Liboi Police Station and requested for a vehicle to transport the suspects to Garissa divisional headquarters.

A Kenyan police Land Cruiser was immediately sent to pick up the suspects. The officers in the vehicle were shocked when they arrived at the patrol base and found it surrounded by militiamen who opened fire, injuring some officers.

It is not clear how the militiamen learnt that the three had been detained, but police linked them to terrorism.

North Eastern PPO, Mr Stephen Chelimo, said arrangements were being made to bring back the police vehicle and weapons seized by the gang.The police vehicle is said to have been spotted being driven past Dobley, about 5km from the main border.

Dobley region is run by Islamist militia who are trying to take over leadership in Somalia.

The Kenyan/Somalia border is porous and a number of police officers have been killed in attacks staged by militiamen.

Somali Transitional Government has no authority and is facing a major rebellion from several Islamic militiamen.

I am amazed at your ignorance and sheer stupidity. A Somali is a Somali, no matter where he or she is. We are no less patriotic just because we are in the West. In any case we keep the economy of a stateless nation alive. If you want to die in Somalia for a futile and useless tribal war go ahead and die!

It is pure stupidity to assume we should sit put while mentally ill militias like Islamic Court Union are killing our people, making otherwise hard working people refugees and internally displaced persons. A dog and a pig has a better life in Somalia than a Somali citizen under the current political climate which ICU is encouraging.

ICU has no authority to rule Somalia. The real authority is the Transitional Federal Government, formed by Somalia’s clans.

Ethiopians had every right to defend themselves from the empty threats of “bearded diaper-heads” as one commentator put it.

What is more ICU has no government credentials … like these jew dogs who hurl bombs to kill women and children in Palestine in hope of achieving a futile dream.

Finally think of a situation where ICU will drops their murderous guns and joins in a general election once the mandate of TFG ends. Let them try this path if they think they are very popular among the citizenry.

Allah will one day send to hell all these murderers in Somalia and their illiterate mouthpieces of ICU while blessing peacemakers and orphan supporters abroad!

1. Drive out the Ethiopians
2. Dismantle the Sham Transitional Government
3. Bring back the Moderate Elements of the UIC
4. Hold Elections

Like almost all of the world\’s problems, the issue with Somalia is politics. How do you unite the country where the primary allegience is to the clan. There is only one way to unite the various clans and that is through the unifing and morally elevating force of Islam. That is why the best, most uncorrupt, unifying and stable government Somalia has ever had was the UIC.

The west should have engaged the courts and wooed them away from extremist influences. Support and aid would have done very much to help the country under UIC control. But the Bush administration is full of right wing nutjobs. The Ehiopian invasion was a disaster. The policy against Eriteria is a disaster. Bring the moderate forces of the UIC back. Send in state department political advisors. Offer small amounts of aid to get the government up and running, shouldn\’t cost more than $50 Million an year (how much we spend in Iraq 4 hours). Ensure rule of law, private property rights and fair elections. All can be done under the UIC.

Most of the reisistance fighters have ignored the peace agreement and continued to attack the occupiers. In fact just yesterday. A squadron of Al-Shabab fighter entered an Ethiopian Somali town on the border with Somalia and kicked the Ethiopian forces.