News and Politics | April 21, 2008 | 4 comments

Somalia clashes 'the worst since 1991'

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/21/somalia.fighting/index.html

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"Bodies continued to litter the streets of Mogadishu on Monday after two days of intense fighting described by one human rights representative as "the worst" since 1991."

Because of the intensity of the situation is difficult to calculate the actual death toll, but early estimates count 81 civilians slaughtered, and more than 100 wounded.

War has plagued Somalia and their Capital Mogadishu since 1991 when their dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown. Since then different clans struggle for power. The current Somalia government is maintaining their fragile authority with the help of the Ethiopian military.

"The Ethiopians are firing heavy weaponry into areas where civilians are heavily populated, while the Islamic militants are firing mortars and RPGs from within those areas," Ahmed said. "So the exchange is causing a civilian casualty toll which is unspeakable."

Ethiopia initially invaded Somalia with the support of the UN to assist with a peace keeping mission to end years of anarchy. Ethiopia did not receive the support they were promised so they were left with a lengthy complicated mess.

**From my outside perspective the fighting, like all wars, is absolutely pointless. People are fighting for control over a shell of a country. Civilians can't leave their homes because stray bullets are flying everywhere. Bombs are killing villagers minding their own business. Pointless death. Pointless war.
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4 comments // Somalia clashes 'the worst since 1991'

  • TheRedOne
  • diode
    • 0
      diode  

    • and no one does anything. so when the US does something, we become the bad guys. the world can go fix itself, we should not be the worlds police, thats the UN's job. oh wait, they'll send an angry letter, watch out.

    • 3 years ago
  • kassim
    • 0
      kassim  

    • I totally agree with you Christof, Mogadishu is back in a state of full scale war...sad to say that i was born in Mogadishu and educated in the UK but currently living in Kenya, visited my homeland some few days ago and couldn't recognise our own plot(the place where i was born), where is the UN? when Kenya was thrown into a state of anarchy after the disputed election results, the international community acted...why not Somalia? Ethiopia can not be the solution...the US/UK and other superpowers should intervene.

    • 3 years ago
  • Christof
    • 0
      Christof  
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    • It's so sad to see Mogadishu back in a state of war. When we were there last summer it looked like there was finally a chance for the city to experience peace. See for yourself:

    • 3 years ago
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