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Four killed in Somalia ahead of peace talks
Four civilians were killed in the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses said yesterday, on the eve of a landmark peace parley which many fear could touch off a new wave of insurgent attacks. Three people were shot dead and one died in a grenade explosion as terrified residents left the capital, fearing a surge in attacks aimed at disrupting the clan reconciliation meeting. I do not know the names of the two killed in Huriwa overnight, but the one shot dead in Hodan district was my friend, Yusuf Ali Obeyd, who advocated for national reconciliation, said Abdi Ali Mohamoud, a resident of Hodan in southern Mogadishu. Separately, a woman died and her eight-month-old baby was wounded in a grenade explosion in Hodan district on Saturday, the latest in a string of grenade attacks that have shaken Mogadishu, witnesses said. The attacks come as Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops and African Union peacekeepers beefed up efforts to secure the capital ahead of the much-delayed National Reconciliation Congress. Yesterday, troops sealed off the talks venue, frisking pedestrians and searching vehicles while others took up positions around major hotels where delegates will stay, said correspondent reported. Some troops seem ready to open fire at any strange movement near the area. They are acting as if they are in Baghdad, said lorry driver Hirsi Hassan, referring to the Iraqi capital that has been torn apart by sectarian violence. Mogadishu resident Abbas Abdullahi said: The troops are behaving like they are at war. Maybe they do not want to take any risk before the conference starts. Posted by: ryuge 2007-07-15 |
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