...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...
base, witnesses said, describing intense fighting which left corpses strewn around.
"The fighting was the heaviest ever around this area, the Shabaab fighters took full control of the base and killed many soldiers," said Alinur Mohammed, a local elder in Lego village, 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Witnesses said they had seen as many as 50 bodies but the reports were impossible to independently confirm. Some bodies were reportedly beheaded.
The military outpost was manned by around 100 Burundian soldiers who are part of the 22,000 strong African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Residents said the dawn raid started when a jacket wallah drove a car loaded with explosives into the entrance of the base, before dozens of snuffies armed with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades began their assault.
Ahmed Bulle, another elder, said the toll could be higher still as many bodies were strewn around the base.
He said the snuffies had also looted the base, carting away weapons, ammunition and vehicles.
"The Shabaab snuffies took control of the area completely -- the corpse count could be more than 50. There are many dead bodies most of them in military uniforms," Bulle said.
- Islamist flag hoisted over base -
A Shabaab front man said the snuffies had taken control of the base killing "dozens" and had raised their flag and seized weapons.
"The Black Islamic flag is flying over the main base of AMISOM in Lego this morning and the dead bodies of the enemy are scattered around the area, the mujahedeen fighters have taken all their military supplies," Mohammed Abu-Yahya, a Shabaab commander said.
A front man AMISOM confirmed that an attack and shootout had taken place but could not provide any casualty figures.
"This morning there was an attack on our camp at Lego," said Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna, adding that fighting continued for hours with reinforcements sent to the base, located on the main road between Mogadishu and the western regional capital of Baidoa.
Shabaab front man Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage praised the attack."Today is a happy day for the Moslem nation, the mujahedeen fighters have managed to storm a base stationed by apostates and the African Christians who invaded our country, especially those from Burundi," he said.
If the corpse count is confirmed Friday's attack would be one of the deadliest single incidents since AMISOM soldiers arrived in Somalia eight years ago.
In 2011, as many as 70 Burundian soldiers died in battle in Mogadishu.
AU envoy to Somalia Maman Sidikou condemned the attack and said he "regrets the losses recorded and registers his solidarity with the government and people of Burundi", without giving details of numbers killed.
The al-Qaeda affiliate is fighting to overthrow Somalia's Western-backed government which is propped up and protected by AMISOM.
Under military pressure at home, Shabaab is increasingly turning its attention to Kenya where it has launched a string of recent deadly assaults, as well as focusing on guerrilla style warfare in Somalia.
The Islamic snuffies commonly step up their attacks during Islam's holy fasting month of Ramadan. On Wednesday six people were killed in a suicide kaboom in Mogadishu on a diplomatic convoy from the United Arab Emirates.