Somali Islamists slap curfew on port town after protests
KISMAYO, Somalia - Somali Islamists on Tuesday put down a small womens protest in this key southern port and imposed a curfew after violent demonstrations by residents against their new Muslim leaders.
No pics of the Islamicists beating and beheading the wimmins; that will come as soon as the soccer stadium is cleared. | A day after taking Kismayo peacefully but then opening fire on demonstrators, Islamist forces quelled a brief protest by several dozen women and children and slapped a 9:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew, witnesses said. They moved to break up about 70 women and children who had gathered to chant anti-Islamist slogans and an unknown number of people by some accounts two, by others as many as 20 -- were detained after the demonstration, they said.
The Islamic courts are occupiers, we dont want the Islamic courts here, we will not accept the rule of the Islamic courts, they yelled before being dispersed.
Kismayo police commander Abdullahi Farhan told AFP only about 20 people were chanting and that only five were now in custody, including two women arrested after Mondays protest.
At least two people died in Mondays violence, according to residents, but the Islamists have vehemently denied anyone was killed or wounded, and despite Tuesdays brief incident and overnight gunfire, the port appeared edgy but calm.
Kismayo residents said they were told the curfew had been imposed to preserve the peace. We dont know how long the curfew will stay in place, said Kismayo businessman Ahmed Sheilk Abdulle. If the plan is to avoid violence, we can wait, but everything must have its limits.
Heh, good luck in dealing with your new occupiers. Sucks to live under Sharia, eh? | Residents said there were fears the government-allied local Juba Valley Alliance (JVA) militia, which had held Kismayo until Sunday but then fled and Islamist advance, might attempt a counter-strike.
The port was the latest municipality in southern Somalia to fall into Islamist hands since they seized Mogadishu from warlords in June after months of fierce battles. Islamist officials say they took Kismayo, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the capital and 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of the Kenyan border, to prevent proposed peacekeepers from landing.
Posted by: Steve White 2006-09-27 |