Resistance Forces of Islam in Somalia the New ICU ?

[michael_ital]

Shelling in Somali capital kills at least eight
26 minutes ago



MOGADISHU (AFP) - Gunmen have fired a barrage of shells into southern parts of Somalia's capital, where at least eight people were killed and several others wounded, residents said.

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As the United States said it was mulling re-establishing a diplomatic presence in Somalia, a mortar shell killed one person in Mogadishu's Casa Populare area early Friday while seven were killed overnight in three other residential districts.


Witnesses said the attacks targeted a camp housing Ethiopian troops in southern Mogadishu, where a string of recent raids have left dozens of people dead.


Four people were killed in the capital's Barakat district, two others in Sisi and one in a nearby neighbourhood in the overnight attack.


Residents said at least seven people were treated in nearby health facilities across the capital.


Friday's attack killed one and wounded three others in Casa Populare neighbourhood, said resident Mohamed Musa.


The raids underline the volatile security situation in the city, days after a movement called Resistance Forces of Islam in Somalia vowed to wage guerrilla warfare on the Somali government and its Ethiopian backers.


There was no immediate confirmation, however, that this group was behind the latest attacks.


Deputy Defence Minister Salad Ali Jelle regretted the violence, pledging that authorities would restore stability in the volatile capital in the coming weeks.


"The terrible mess will be short-lived," Jelle told AFP.


"The government has the capacity and the capability to destroy them and it is a matter of days or weeks before security is restored in Mogadishu," he explained.


Such attacks undermine efforts by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed to organise a national reconciliation conference in a bid to rally support behind his embattled administration, which is still holed up the the backwater outpost of Baidoa.


Mogadishu has seen a surge in violence since the arrival in the capital of Ethiopian backers, who ousted the Islamists after weeks of fighting. Washington said some of the defeated Islamists were believed to be regrouping in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.


But residents have protested at the presence of the Ethiopian troops. Although some Ethiopian forces began withdrawing last week, Addis Ababa has said the last man will leave when peacekeepers arrive.


Remnants of the Islamists have been distributing leaflets calling for resistance and has posted messages on its website vowing to fight around 8,000 the African Union peacekeepers expected to be deployed in the war-torn nation.


The AU summit this week called for an urgent deployment, warning that further delays would slide the lawless country in deeper anarchy. Up to now, countries have pledged only 4,000 forces.


A 1993 to 1995 UN and US peace missions ended disastrously after the peacekeepers were forced to pull out in the face of sustained attacks by gunmen allied to Somali warlords.


In Washington, the State Department said it was actively examining the possibility of setting up diplomatic presence in the country, but did not give exact details.

"We're going to take a look at what is appropriate in terms of security, in terms of political presence, in terms of diplomatic presence in Somalia," said department spokesman Sean McCormack.

[biko]

"In Washington, the State Department said it was actively examining the possibility of setting up diplomatic presence in the country, but did not give exact details.

"We're going to take a look at what is appropriate in terms of security, in terms of political presence, in terms of diplomatic presence in Somalia," said department spokesman Sean McCormack."




aint that just a great news. all we need is the fascist state of america and their SS soldiers.

[Ashlee]

look me in my eyes and promise you won't do the same.

[biko]

WTF?

[Ashlee]

tis a song, lad. just a song.

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

Biko
Djibouti is benefiting from it.