Africa

SOMALIA: At least 7 AU Troops killed and more captured

February 24, 2011   ·   204436 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2Fsomalia-at-least-7-au-troops-killed-and-more-captured-20443SOMALIA%3A+At+least+7+AU+Troops+killed+and+more+captured2011-02-24+10%3A39%3A23Hassan+Alihttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D20443

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s most prominent radical group Al-Shabab on Wednesday displayed an injured African Mission soldier in their possession and the dead bodies of seven others.

The news comes a day after a deadly war erupted between forces loyal to Somalia’s weak transition federal government (TFG) backed by AMISOM troops and al Shabab fighters.

The government of former cleric Sheikh Sharif has secretly been given six months deadline to gain ground against the Islamists or face the withdraw of international support. On top of that, the TFG leaders are worried once its mandate expires on August, powerful warlords who know how to maneuver around the chaos will undermined its legitimacy. A number of warlords have openly said they wanted to replace Sheikh Sharif as the next president of Somalia.

In a bid to restore international donors’ confidence, the TFG this week launched a number of counter-offensive operations against al-Shabab troops. The first ground battle broke-out in the town of Beled-hawo in the Gedo region, near the Kenyan border. The TFG troops and Sufi sect militants tried to flash out al shabab loyalists but eyewitnesses said they retreated without making significant gains. Similar skirmishes were reported in Beled-weyne, a strategic town in Hiiraan region near the Ethiopian border. Each group has claimed victory but once again no significant gains for either group.

The deadliest battle is ranging in Mogadishu where it has entered its fourth consecutive day of intensive fighting. The exchange of gunfire between the Islamists and the western-backed AU/TFG alliance could be heard throughout Mogadishu. The hardest hit area is around the Ministry of Defense, along the Industrial Road, where Wednesday’s heavy fighting mainly concentrated. It is one of many strongly held al-Shabab bases dotted around the city.

Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo told local radio stations his troops captured a number of important bases from the Islamists on Wednesday morning. He also claimed all Al-Shabab fighters had been pushed out of Mogadishu and were fighting from Bala’ad, a small town about 30km north of the capital.

However, by noon, the Islamists rebuked Farmajo’s claims as “ludicrous” and displayed the bloody corpses of several Burundian peacekeepers, complete in their military attire to the media. They excitedly showed off one captured Burundian soldier who received medical care before his display to the public.

The ghastly images of the peacekeepers’ bruised and half-naked bodies drew a very large crowd and al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage ‘Ali Dheere’ addressed the crowds. He told his supporters they have the bodies of 20 AMISOM troops and number of others alive. He said they will display to the public and media tomorrow (Thursday). Other senior al-Shabab figures who spoke there include the former al-Shabab rival and leader of Hisbul Islam, Sheikh Dahir Aweys.

The Islamists also captured large amounts of arms from the AMISOM peacekeepers and Somali troops.

Maj. Barigye Ba-hoku, African Union spokesman, admitted sustaining heavy losses on Wednesday against the heavily-armed insurgent group.

Medical sources in Mogadishu said the latest clashes were some of the worst in the country in recent months. They reported the number of civilians so far killed is more than 20 while over 40 are reported wounded. Many civilians are desperately fleeing their homes.

Al Shabab has been battling the weak-internationally supported government for the last two years in an effort to establish Islamic law in the country. They accuse the former cleric Sheikh Sharif of been “too secular”. They vowed to continue waging war on the TFG and its allies. The group has also warned both Uganda and Burundi, the only two nations with peacekeepers in the country, of retaliation and terror strikes. There are about 8000 AMISOM troops in Mogadishu.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 when dictator Mohamed Siad Bare was ousted by armed groups.

Sources: Somalilandpress & Mogadishu Man (Note: name withheld for security reasons) | 23 Feb 2011

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By Hassan Ali

Tags: Al shabab, AMISOM, Burundi, Mogadishu, Somalia, Uganda