Interestingly, the Beeb sidebar sez that the al-Qaeda contingent is getting weapons from Eritrea. This may be due to the anti-Ethiopian orientation of al-Itihaad al-Islamiyyah (they want to gnaw off the Muslim part of Ethiopia) or the weapons may just be getting routed through there from more powerful allies like say Turabi's followers in Sudan.
At least five people have been killed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, when Islamist gunmen attacked a warlord, breaking a three-day truce. The attack coincided with a rally intended to call for peace, following the death of at least 140 people.
| Yep, a peace rally with gunnies. Makes me think of ... Gaza. |
Hundreds of demonstrators, guarded by Islamist gunmen, started chanting anti-US slogans, accusing the US of backing the alliance of warlords.
Some civil society groups boycotted the event, saying it had been "hijacked".
| Careful with the word 'hijacked' when in Somalia. |
A compound belonging to warlord Mohamed Omar Habeb Dheere north of Mogadishu was overrun by the Islamist gunmen. Reuters news agency reports that Mr Dheere had arrived from his base in Jowhar at the weekend to back up the warlords' Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism.
The US says it has not violated the arms embargo on Somalia but has said it would work with those who can help "prevent Somalia becoming a safe haven for terrorists".
British international development minister Hilary Benn, who is in Somalia on a previously unannounced visit, said he was aware of allegations the US was funding warlords. "I haven't seen any evidence myself," he said.
| "And I don't intend to," he added loyally. |
Reports suggest two of those warlords may soon be sacked from the interim government.
| 'cause taking arms from 'Merkins is ucky. |
The government is based in the small town of Baidoa, three hours from the capital, Mogadishu. It has not moved to Mogadishu because they would all be killed of security concerns, and controls only a small part of the country. |