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Africa Horn
Residents flee Hudur after al-Shabaab takeover
2013-03-23
Fear and uncertainty have settled over Hudur in southwestern Somalia since al-Shabaab re-took the town from retreating Somali and Ethiopian forces on March 17th.

About 2,000 Hudur residents have fled from the returning terrorists militants, who had blockaded the town and cut off food supplies since allied forces forced al-Shabaab to relinquish control of the Bakol regional capital in March 2012.

Upon entering Hudur, al-Shabaab officials assembled the town's few remaining residents, assuring them they had nothing to fear. The next day, the terrorists militants brutally killed the town's most prominent cleric, 75-year-old Sheikh Abdirahman Moalin Warsame. They also reportedly killed two other residents, including a woman they accused of working for the government.

Although the terrorists militants told residents to stay calm and go about their normal business, Abdi Yonis, a 34-year-old who attended the public assembly, called al-Shabaab's promises an insincere ploy to allay residents' fears and discourage them from fleeing. He said, "So far they have arrested four people, including a woman. The rest of the people are afraid and are wondering what they will do next."

Muna Ali, a 27-year-old mother of two, said the situation in town has changed drastically in a matter of a few days, with fear gripping the city's population.

Ali said that since al-Shabaab's arrival, schools and markets have closed because people are not leaving their homes. She said, "I never thought I would see a situation like this in Hudur. Fear and loneliness is everywhere."

Mustafa Ahmed, 35, described the discovery of children living in houses alone after their parents abandoned them, fearing the arrival of al-Shabaab. He said, "An estimated 300 al-Shabaab fighters armed with light weapons entered the city. They have about 10 vehicles with them, some of which are armoured. Most of them are young people. There are also some foreign fighters among the occupiers, but their number is unclear."

Fadumo Ibrahim, a 35-year-old mother of five, said she fled with her family to El Barde, a town 90 kilometers to the north. Ibrahim and her family, along with others, had to walk for three days without food or water before reaching El Barde.

She said, "We all feared al-Shabaab would accuse us of working for the [Somali] government," adding that before allied forces left the town, terrorists militants would routinely harass locals saying that anyone who stayed in Hudur was an accomplice to the government.

The withdrawal of Somali and Ethiopian troops from Hudur has caused concerns about a broader pull-out of Ethiopian forces from the Bay and Bakol regions, including from the strategically important town of Baidoa.

Nonetheless, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said in a statement on Thursday that that it was working closely with the Somali government to re-establish security in the area.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon condemned the sheikh's murder and said the government was planning to retake Hudur. He said, "This barbaric act will do nothing to stop us from moving forward and we are now working flat out with Somali National Forces, together with our partners, to retake the town. We will prevail."
Posted by:ryuge

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