...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...
force in Somalia said it is investigating the alleged killing of 14 civilians by Æthiopian soldiers, with witnesses saying they opened unprovoked firing on a prayer meeting.
The incident occurred late Sunday in the west of Somalia, about 30 kilometres from regional capital Baidoa, and involved Æthiopian troops from the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
"AMISOM has received reports of alleged civilians killed during an offensive between its troops and Al-Shabaab
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
in Wardinle, Bay region," the mission said in a statement posted on Twitter on Monday evening.
The Al-Qaeda-aligned Shabaab is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Somalia which is defended by AMISOM troops in the capital Mogadishu and elsehwere.
AMISOM said it had "commenced investigations" and that the findings would be made public.
"Fourteen people, among them traditional elders and civilians, were killed after festivities broke out between Shabaab fighters, and Somali government troops and AMISOM peacekeepers," said local MP Ibrahim Isak Yarow.
"They were at a prayer gathering when a Shabaab fighter started shooting in the area causing the confrontation that led to major civilian casualties."
However,
the way to a man's heart remains through his stomach...
witnesses interviewed by AFP gave a different account.
"The Æthiopian forces arrived at Wardile village and targeted a houses where Koranic teachers and other civilians were staying. There was a religious gathering at the time and people were praying for a sick man," said Mohammed Moalim Ali.
Adan Isak, another witness, said the unprovoked incident shocked local residents.
"It was a shocking tragedy. The Æthiopian soldiers opened fire indiscriminately on civilians, most of them elderly and decent religious men. Fourteen of them was struck down in his prime and six others were maimed," he said.