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| Africa Horn |
| Somalia's tangled web becomes even more contorted |
| 2006-05-25 |
| The multitude of forces that make up the tangled and knotted web of politics in the stateless country of Somalia were pulled taut in mid-May as violent clashes broke out in the constitutional capital Mogadishu between militias associated with the Islamic Court Union (I.C.U.) and the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-terrorism (A.R.P.C.T.), an umbrella group of warlords and businessmen who have dominated the city since Somalia lost an effective central government in 1991. During the week of May 7, intense street fighting between the militias resulted in an estimated 150 dead and more than 300 wounded -- mostly civilians caught in the cross-fire. The outbreak of violence marked an escalation of the chaotic conflicts that have racked Somalia since its descent into statelessness, threatening tentative movements toward stabilization and national reconciliation. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |