...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
troops, despite the fall of their key stronghold of Afgoye.
"God willing we will continue the war and we will win the battle without doubt," said Sheik Abdiaziz Abu Musab, front man for the hardline Al-Shabaab
,... the successor to the Islamic Courts...
a day after AU and Somali troops entered Afgoye.
The bulk of Al-Shabaab fighters left ahead of an advancing column of hundreds of AU and Somali government troops, who launched a long-awaited assault on the town, some 30 kilometres northwest of the capital Mogadishu.
The loss of Afgoye is another major blow for the forces of Evil who have been on the backfoot for several months.
More than 400,000 people were living in the Afgoye region at the start of the year -- the world's largest concentration of displaced people -- according to the United Nations.
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
On a separate front, Somali troops were reported to be pushing northwards towards Al-Shabaab-held town of Balad, which lies some 35 kilometres north of Mogadishu.