Hundreds of people have been fleeing the northern suburbs of Mogadishu after two days of heavy fighting in the Somali capital. | Mogadishu has suburbs? |
Residents say mortars are being used in the battle between an Islamic militia and warlords. The warlords have accused the Islamists of sheltering foreign fighters and assassinating moderate Muslims.
The United Nations' Irin news agency quotes a doctor saying many more than 60 people may have been killed "because a lot of people are being buried where they died". The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan says hundreds of residents have been forced to leave after their homes were hit by anti-tank shells and mortar rounds. He says more than 100 armed vehicles have been deployed and more than 100 militiamen are fighting. "Really the situation is very horrific there, many people could be seen fleeing from the area with their children on their backs and what you can see on the ground is only militiamen carrying guns from the line of fighting," he said.
In February, the clan-based warlords formed an alliance to challenge the Islamic militia which is loyal to a system of Sharia courts. The Islamic militia says it is trying to establish law and order but the warlords accuse the courts of terrorising the people of Somalia. The dispute started near the port area, which is currently controlled by powerful businessmen. Much of the fighting has been in residential areas and the latest clashes are reportedly closer to the city centre.
Four days of fighting last month between the two sides was some of the heaviest seen in the Somali capital for several years. There are fears that with such a strong ideological divide between the two sides, it may prove difficult to negotiate an end to the fighting. Somalia has been without an effective central government for
A transitional parliament met recently for the first time on home soil since it was formed in Kenya more than a year ago as part of attempts to restore peace and stability. At least five warlords-cum-ministers in the transitional government are behind the new Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, opposed to the Islamic courts' militia. The courts have set up Mogadishu's only judicial system in parts of the capital but have been accused of links to al-Qaeda.