About 10 men started walking from Marwas mosque and headed eastwards. In less than five minutes, they were at the building of the former Commercial and Savings Bank, which is situated at the strategic junction better known as Bar Cafe' Nazionale.
As the group continued to gaze at the former Bank that was turned into military garrison by Amisom peakeepers from Uganda, they talked about their expectations when they reach the homes they abandoned two years ago.
Osman Nur, a group member said he feared his house at what is known as Campo Amhara was destroyed by the shells exchanged between the hard boyz of A
l-Shabaab... Harakat ash-Shabaab al-Mujahidin aka the Mujahideen Youth Movement. It was originally the youth movement of the Islamic Courts, now pretty much all of what's left of it. They are aligned with al-Qaeda but operate more like the Afghan or Pakistani Taliban. The organization's current leader is Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad, also known as Ibrahim
al-Afghani. Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, a Kenyan al-Qaeda member, is considered the group's military leader...
and the Amisom forces that kept tanks and other armoury around Mogadishu's old port.
"I have been reciting the Holy Koran all this time for Allah to save my house and my corner shop," said Ali Weheliye, another group member.
Only few days ago, this kind of trip to Abdulaziz district by a group made of fishermen, business people, educators and others with varying occupations was unthinkable.
The area was in the firm grip of fighters loyal to Al-Shabaab, undoubtedly the most radical movement Somalis have ever known.
In the early hours of Saturday, August 6, Al-Shabaab front man, Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Raghe alias Sheikh Ali Dhere, told Al-Shabaab supporters via Al-Andalus, a broadcaster run by the movement, that his movement was changing war tactics.
Meanwhile,
...back at the argument, Jane reached into her purse for her .38...
Somalia's embattled government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed offered amnesty Tuesday to beturbanned fascisti in the war-torn capital as its soldiers tried to open up emergency aid access for thousands hit by famine.
Fresh gunfire was reported in Mogadishu early Tuesday after sporadic festivities between troops of the Western-backed transitional government and remnants of the Shebab rebels following their surprise pull-out on Saturday.
The government "offered a general amnesty to thug fighters remaining in Mogadishu who give themselves up and renounce violence," it said in a statement.
"We offer an amnesty -- put down your weapons and your guns, and come and join the people and your society," government front man Abdirahman Osman said.
In another development, African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
troops called today for the deployment of 3,000 more soldiers to secure war-torn Somalia's capital.