You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Africa Horn
At least 35 people killed during two days of fierce fighting in Mogadishu
2009-07-06
[Beirut Daily Star: Region] Heavy shelling between Somali rebels and government forces near the presidential palace killed at least 12 people on Sunday, witnesses said, and the prime minister looked for help from more African Union peacekeepers. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said more AU troops were expected soon to back his forces but gave no further details Sunday. "It was a very gruesome scene," said Sahra Abdulle, a Mogadishu resident who saw bodies in the streets Sunday and wounded people running from the mortar shells. Another witness, Suleyman Abdel-Kadir, said at least 12 people died.

On Saturday, at least 23 Somalis, mostly civilians, were killed and more than fifty wounded in Mogadishu in clashes between government troops and insurgents, medics said. "As of now, I can tell you that 23 died and more then 50 injuries were dropped at the hospital," Ali Muse, a paramedic told Reuters.

Over 100 people have been killed since Wednesday as government troops try to drive insurgents out of their Mogadishu bases. African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) have warned hardline Islamist insurgents who have been advancing on Somali government positions to back down or face retaliation. "There is a limit, when they [the insurgents] cross that line we shall engage them immediately," Major-General Francis Okello, AMISOM's commander, told Reuters. "That is in our mandate, and we are carefully watching them."

The 4,300 Ugandan and Burundian troops have been confined to their bases and are limited to protecting key sites such as the presidential palace, airport and seaport.
How well can they protect anything except themselves, when confined to their bases?
African leaders who met at an AU summit in the Libyan city of Sirte last week did not adopt a much anticipated proposed resolution to give AMISOM troops a mandate to do more than just defend themselves from rebel attacks. Instead, the 53-member AU summit adopted a resolution condemning insurgent attacks in Somalia and backing the government. They also accused Eritrea of supporting the rebels and called for sanctions on the tiny country.

The government of former hardliner turned moderate President Sheikh Sharif Ahmad, has been pushing for the AMISOM mandate to be beefed up so it can help the government take on the rebels. But the Al-Shabaab group had warned that a stronger AMISOM would have made the situation worse.
Posted by:Fred

#1  But the Al-Shabaab group had warned that a stronger AMISOM would have made the situation worse.

Yeah, for Al-Shabaab. Yet the idiots bought it.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2009-07-06 15:35  

00:00