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Weapons Raids in Somalia After Violent Night
 Mogadishu exploded in violence on Wednesday morning after unknown insurgents attacked a transitional government barracks during the night and soldiers responded by sealing off large swaths of the city, searching house to house for guns.The weapons raids immediately provoked stiff resistance, and squads of Ethiopian soldiers and troops loyal to the transitional government poured into the streets, where they battled outraged residents and a handful of masked insurgents. From dawn to afternoon, the pop of gunfire and the boom of explosives reverberated across Mogadishu, Somalias reliably chaotic capital. But it is difficult to tell how many people here actually support the growing insurgency against Somalias transitional government and the Ethiopian troops backing it. On Wednesday, a group of masked men stood on the steps of a Mogadishu mosque and proclaimed themselves to be Somalias new freedom fighters. They were met by jeers. Why cant you hit anything, then? shouted one woman, referring to a botched grenade attack that missed the Ethiopians and demolished a house. Were you scared? Were your fingers trembling? Ya cretinous punks! Regardless of the insurgents popularity, or lack thereof, violence is increasing. And the transitional government, which entered the capital two weeks ago for the first time since it formed in 2004, now faces a critical test: how quickly, if at all, can it pacify a notoriously dangerous city, bristling with military-grade weaponry and split by deep clan divisions? Quagmire alert! Most of the violence on Wednesday was concentrated in strongholds of the Ayr, a powerful clan-based group closely connected to the Islamist movement that had controlled much of the country until the Ethiopian military entered the fray last month. On the other hand, neighborhoods of the Darod clan, the clan of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, the transitional president, were quiet. Many Darod members said they were happy about the weapons raids, especially the ones in Ayr neighborhoods. Heh. I bet. Clan rivalries have been the curse of Somalia ever since there was a Somalia. They are the cause of its civil wars, its famines and its state of suspended decay. It seems that this new chapter is no different. The insurgents are still a mysterious bunch, but they are widely suspected to be members of the ousted Islamist movement. No shit, Sherlock After being routed, the Islamists vowed to fight on as an underground army. As each night passes, more government troops are attacked. On Tuesday, insurgents launched one of their boldest strikes, firing rocket-propelled grenades at an army barracks downtown. Witnesses said at least two soldiers died, and the insurgents got away. But on Wednesday, residents said that Ethiopian soldiers were able to confiscate some guns and arrest several people suspected of being insurgents. Doctors at Medina Hospital said Wednesday that in the past 24 hours 15 people had been admitted for gunshot wounds, including 3 government soldiers. The violence this past week has filled all of the hospitals 65 beds, leaving bleeding men and women curled up on the floor and under acacia trees in the courtyard. This is not something that is going to stop, said Dahir Muhammad, a hospital official. Until the Ethiopians leave, people will be determined to kill them. And I am sure the Aethiops will respond in-kind. Posted by: Brett 2007-01-11 |
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