Somalia fighting has killed nearly 400

[EboniQue]

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Fierce fighting between Ethiopian-backed government forces and Islamic insurgents in Somalia's capital has killed nearly 400 people — mostly civilians — in the past four days, a Somali human rights group said Monday.

 

The fighting abated long enough Monday to allow thousands of people to flee the ruined coastal city on foot and in donkey carts, cars and trucks. Some 47,000 people — mainly women and children — have abandoned their homes in the last 10 days, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Since February, nearly 100,000 people have fled the violence, the agency said.

 

Monday's lull appeared to follow a truce between Ethiopian forces and insurgents, brokered by the capital's dominant clan. But Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jelle said the accord was "null and void," and warned residents to go because the fighting could resume at any time to "clean al-Qaida elements from Mogadishu."

 

Ethiopian troops were seen reinforcing close to insurgent strongholds in the southern part of the city. Around 4,000 Ethiopian troops are in Mogadishu, said Western diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information related to security matters.

 

The casualty figures were the first to be compiled since the battles began Thursday, said Sudan Ali Ahmed, chairman of the Elman Human Rights Organization.

 

The group said 381 people were killed and 565 were wounded in the fighting, which started when Ethiopian troops with tanks and attack helicopters launched an offensive to crush insurgents linked to an Islamic group driven from power in December.

 

The tolls were calculated from hospital figures, local groups and burials but do not include Ethiopian soldiers that may have been killed, he said. The numbers may be much higher as bodies have not been collected from the dusty alleyways and backstreets in the south of the capital.

 

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia said many of the wounded still need help. "Trapped by the fighting, many wounded are unable to access medical facilities and lie unattended in the streets," the agency said.

 

Ethiopia claims it has killed more than 200 insurgents during the offensive; the figure could not be independently confirmed.

 

On Monday, Gen. Abdullahi Ali Omar, the commander of Somalia's army, narrowly escaped a roadside bombing as he drove in a government convoy from his hotel, a clear sign the insurgency is still strong.

 

One soldier was injured in the blast, said presidential spokesman Hussein Mohamoud Hussein. "An al-Qaida cell was behind the explosion," he said. "They want to kill key government officials. They want to do here what they are doing in Iraq."

 

International efforts were under way to resolve the crisis, with European, African, Arab and U.S. diplomats expected to meet in Cairo on Tuesday.

 

In Eritrea, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was holding talks on the fighting with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. Eritrea is accused of backing the Islamic movement that was driven from power in December by its rival, Ethiopia, along with U.S. special forces. The U.S. has accused the courts of having ties to al-Qaida.

 

On Saturday, a Ugandan member of the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia was killed by a mortar. Uganda has about 1,400 troops in the force, the only contributing country so far.

 

The Islamic movement stockpiled thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition during the six months they controlled Mogadishu. The militants have long rejected any secular government and have sworn to fight until Somalia becomes an Islamic emirate.

 

The country has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned each other. A national government was established in 2004, but has failed to assert any real control.

 

 

Source

[xiinfaniin]

^^Daynile puts the death toll about 500.

 

 

Dadkii ugu badnaa oo rayid ah oo lagu xasuuqay 4tii maalin ee dagaalada ka jireen magaalada Muqdisho (xaafadaha ugu badan ay dadkaasi rayidka ah ay ku geeriyoodeen .

 

 

Muqdisho

 

 

Dadkii ugu badnaa abid ayaa ku geeriyooday Afartii maalin ee dagaalada ka jireen magaalada Muqdisho kuwaas oo kor u dhafayo 500 oo qof iaydoona dadka la xasuuqay aysan jirin cid si qaas ah ugu dacwooneysa marka laga reebo qareemo si qaas ah isku xilqaamay

 

Shaqsiyaadka dhintay oo ubadan dad rayid ah oo guroyahooda si gar daro loogu duqeeyey , dadka dhintay oo ku kala dhintay meelo badan oo ku yaalo magaalada Muqdisho ayaa maanta guryahooda laga soo faagay iyadoona qaarkood go go eeny hilibkoodii ,

 

Intbadan dadka dhintay oo ku geeriyooday xaafadaha kala , Shiirkolaha , Gubta , Huruwaa , Ceymiska , Toowfiiq , Xararyaale, Suuq bacaad iyo Meelo kale oo badan ,

 

Xaafada Shirkoole waxaa ku geeriyooday in kabadan 132 qof oo rayid ah , Xaafada Huruwaa 82 qof oo rayid ah , xaafada Gubta 79 Qof oo rayid ah Ceymiska 52 Qof oo rayid ah , Toowfiikh 100 Qof oo rayid ah xaafada Xararyaale 42 qof oo rayid ah iyo xafada Suuqbacaad 13 qof oo rayid ah isku geynta dadka rayidka ah oo gar darada ku dhintay ayaa ah 500 oo qof iyadoonta tirakoobkaasi ay maanta sameyeen dad si qaas ah isku xilqaamay kuwaas oo diyaarinooyo dacwad ka dhan ah DFKMG iyo dowlada Itoobiya.

 

Xasuuqa ka dhacay Muqdisho ayaa ahaa kii ugu badnaa abid ee dad intaas la eg ay ku geeriyoodaan mar qur ah.

[Captain Xalane]

Lest the Criminals submit themselves,am afraid more is to come.

[xiinfaniin]

More is to come as some are walking with death. Those who are dancing and singing victory songs on the decomposing body of the innocent civilians will be held on to account.

[Taako Man]

Those who hide behind civilians and expect there safery are extremely naive.

[xiinfaniin]

Civilians caught in the crossfire are simply naïve. So says one of SOL’s notorious simpletons.

[Captain Xalane]

Whose fault is it that they the civilians are dead than those who chose to use them as human shields?Indeed,they will be held accountable and the Government will apprehend them all,alive or dead.Probably the latter.

[Taako Man]

^ Simpleton behaviour is shown by not grasping simple english.

 

The clan 'mujahids' who hide behind the civilians and expect the civilians to be safe are naive. Digest that, oh confused one.

[xiinfaniin]

Taako, you really need to speak like the Captain does in these boards; condone the death and the destruction that’s befallen on Xamar. Don’t mince words adeer. After all, those killed were from the enemy clan. So it’s not about grasping simple English. It’s indeed struggling to speak with a clear voice to reflect your wicked thoughts. Thats your sorry state!

 

As for the cyber Captain; remember few months ago when it was all over and done and Xamar was to be made a stable seat for the tfg. Your predictions are no different this time. There will be another eruption of violence. The tfg is doomed to fail. And if it’s the clan you were after, there is a recorded history in Somali politics where bigger army than yours went after specific clans to subdue them. If it’s the insurgency you were after, again history is full of instances where even superpowers were brought to their knees and defeated squarely.

[Taako Man]

^ No sxb, every death is unfortunate, however how come people are looking for safe haven in North Xamar, Balcad, Jowhar and running away from South Xamar? Because they know that the trouble makers are hiding behind them and are costing them lives. Sadly this is what happens when people hide behind civilians.

 

P.s I have relatives in Xamar from that 'clan' and I would never wish death on them. Would I want my own uncles, aunts and great uncles to die? No.

[Jacpher]

Ironically we have catholics who feel sorrow for the death of innocent Somalis and Somalis cheering up for Ethiopian army bombardment of civilians.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

Xiinfaniin: There will be another eruption of violence.

would this not mean another 500 hundred "civilions" death? You know what they say, be careful what you wish for.

[Captain Xalane]

Aah,same old rampant criers again.Pple die in wars and in a war u do not expect pple to be born.What those leaders down there chose for the pple was this chaos for they refused to fight and protect xamar and claim that they were doing it for the pple coz it would hurt the pple.The same liers sent those pple's kids to the front and we all know what happened to them and today,they are using the poor parents as human shields.As for the clan stance that u are talking about,i do not indulge in clan talks unless rarely forced to and thus,as i always say,i never care less for who dies or lives but for what objectives have been accomplished and at which rate the Drills are going.Secondly,the Government is after every criminal and not a particular one and thus,if they have to wipe out a whole population,by all means for that objective they will do it.The rest is indeed un important.

[Pi]

^^ Would any civillians die if these clannists took the fight to the outside. There are outskirts in the city which are completly empty why not fight there? Why not fight at open feilds of Bay and Bakool. You think the TFG and Ethiopians are guilty and these grown men standing behind women and children are not? What kind of sick and twisted logic is that.

 

Hypocrisy aside, like Jelle said, there will be a new offensive.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

yeah, i forgot to add that the deaths are not five hundred and most of the ones who died were the dowladdiid. it would have happened sonner or later. this is the fate of those who take up arms against the state.