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Africa Horn |
113 dead, thousands flee Somalia clashes |
2009-05-13 |
![]() Al Shabaab group and the government are battling for control of the capital and south Somalia, where 18 years of war has destabilised the region, created hundreds of thousands of refugees, drawn in foreign armies and militants, and spawned an unprecedented wave of piracy offshore. The Elman Peace and Human Rights Organisation said battles between al Shabaab and pro-government forces had wounded 330 people in the Horn of Africa state since the end of last week. ![]() At stake in Somalia is control of Africa's largest coastline. Apart from pirate ransom revenues, Somalia's main source of income comes from cattle exports to the Gulf, although experts say it may have interesting oil-fields in the north. Regional nations and outside powers have long battled for influence in Somalia, with its view of strategic shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia. Since 1991, Somalia has suffered from internal conflicts and occasional interventions by regional nations after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown. Rebels: On Sunday, al Shabaab, whose name means "Youth" in Arabic, said it planned to "cleanse" the capital. "With permission from (God), we will liberate Mogadishu sooner or later and cleanse it from these filthy people," it said in an online statement, according to a translation by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group. On Monday, new Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed accused the rebels of working for unnamed foreign governments he said were determined to undermine his administration. More than 16,000 civilians have been killed by fighting since the start of 2007, more than 1 million have been driven from their homes and about 3 million survive on food aid. |
Posted by:Fred |
#1 Oh, good. Hat Man's Stylin Somalian Gangsta ass is back. I wonder if he can get that thing off? |
Posted by: tu3031 2009-05-13 14:40 |