Nairobi
Though the latest fighting in the Somali capital Mogadishu started on 7 May, the violence goes back to as far as 18 February, when Mogadishu-based faction leaders and their business associates formed an alliance to fight Islamic courts.
Many people in Mogadishu that IRIN spoke with said they believe the new conflict is different from the past. Previous violence has based on rivalries between Somalia's various clans, Abdullahi Shirwa, a member of Civil Society in Action, an umbrella organisation made up of over 12 groups in Mogadishu, told IRIN. "This time it is not between clans but between two groups with different ideologies."
The two heavily armed militias are the Union of Islamic courts and the Alliance for Peace and the Fight Against International Terrorism, which calls itself "the alliance". Members of the alliance include warlords and government ministers.
Shirwa said the perception among Somalis is that "foreign powers are supporting the faction leaders to reduce the perceived power and influence of the Islamic courts." This, he said, is backfiring, "and if anything the courts are more popular today than in February."
The courts have earned some popular praise for bringing a semblance of order in areas under their control, something the faction leaders have been unable or unwilling to do.
According to Mogadishu residents, the past three months of violence in the Somali capital has been the worst they have seen for over 10 years. More than 201 people have died and 1070 wounded according to hospital sources. The majority of these victims are civilian, with militiamen accounting for less than half of the total deaths and a third of the injured.
"Some of the injuries we are seeing are even worse than what we saw in 1992," said a doctor working in a Mogadishu hospital who also worked there at height of Somalia's civil war. "We are seeing children of six months and less with parts of their bodies missing." He said he so far knew of 35 children and 44 women who have been killed in the current fighting.
Speaking to IRIN from the Medina Hospital, Muhubo Salad said she was keeping vigil over her five-year-old daughter who was injured in the crossfire. She said that it was too dangerous to leave the hospital.
"We need help but instead [the faction leaders] have been feeding us bullets for the last 16 years," she said of Mogadishu's faction leaders. "It is our children they are killing. Their children are in safe countries."
The Islamic courts, say some residents, have recently gained support. "At least the courts don't loot or steal from us and they have been able to arrest some criminals," Muhubo said.
Many observers say they believe that faction leaders feel threatened by the emerging power of the courts, and some also maintain that outside forces are influencing the faction leaders.
Elders and civil-society groups trying to intervene in the conflict have so far been unsuccessful. Mediation efforts have been complicated by the fact that clan elders are not sure "how to deal with this new type of war", said Shaykhdon Ilmi a doctor at Medina Hospital.
"The clan elders do not have road map to resolve it," he said. "It was a lot easier when it was between clans."
Many people think that for now the areas in the city under the control of warlords is shrinking. "If I were to put a percentage on the area under the influence and control of the courts I would say 60 percent. The rest is controlled by faction leaders and business people," said one observer.
The alliance also includes relatively well-known faction leaders, such as Muhammad Qanyare Afrah, Muse Sudi Yalahow, Omar Finnish, Bashir Raghe and Abdirashid Shire Ilqeyte.

The United States administration says it is concerned that Mogadishu's Islamic Courts could help harbour Islamic militants. Rightly or wrongly, many people in Mogadishu believe that the warlords are receiving support from the outside.
Speaking in Washington last week, a US state department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said, "Our other operating principle is to work with responsible individuals, and certainly members of the transitional [Somali] government, in fighting terror. It's a real concern of ours, terror taking root in the Horn of Africa. We don't want to see another safe haven for terrorists created."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605110586.html

The capital was FINALLY starting to become more peacefull for the first time in 15 years and now thanks to the "war on terror" the situation is much like the early days of the civil war. Stupid Americans are sponsoring the warlords against the Islamic courts who have provided peace for the civillians. The warlords (who have always opposed the Islamic courts) are claiming that members of Al-qaeda are hiding in Mogadishu, so they can gain support from the international community to get rid of the Islamic courts once and for all. There is nodamn Alqaeda in Somalia for goodness sake. Its a well-known fact that ever since the Islamic courts emerged the warlords have lost power and their influence has declined. They will say anything to get rid of the wadaads.

Americans are in force all over the region. Just making sure thing 'fit' their best interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...entral_Command

They are very selective because they did hardly nothing (maybe track incidents) with pirates and the UN envoys but are more than willing to do training missions for other concerns.

I was reading thesame thing in another article about America's involvement, of course the Bush government didn't specify abouthow they were trying tostop Somalia from being a "terrorist safe haven" but I am guessing the tactic was to create as much instability as possible.

They've lost too many soldiers in Iraq, so their back to doing what they do best:arming warlordsto do their work whilemany innocentvictims die, at the same time making sure their is no media fallout.

I swear, is there a bigger terrorist nation than America?

I swear, is there a bigger terrorist nation than America?


Hey man, you're forgetting Europe.

Somalis haven't moved from clan fighting to ideological war fighting or at least that it what it may seem. The islamic courts and the warlords, both draw support from their fellow clanmembers. Althought i am not from that particular area in somalia. I know that the islamic courts have brought some sort of calm in the chaotic capital city. Whereas the warlords who the bbc calls "secular fighters". Have brought nothing but misery to the people. They have labelled their rivals as "al qaeda" resulting in the kidnapping of promiment community members allegledly by the cia.If the allegations do prove true that the usa is supporting the warlords and causing bloodshed and mayhemfor the somalipeople. Then it is a truly hyporcritical stance, one cannot champion democracy, freedom...... and then support lying dictators.Secondly the media has been using the word "anarchy" to describe somalia. Large parts of the country have been relatively peaceful for the last fifteen years.Even carrying out succesfulldemocratic elections. It seems that the is a current interest in somalias affairs. I cant explain what it is but it is fishy..... to say the least.

False allegationsmade against somali people!

1. Bin laden stayed in somalia in the mid 90s(complete bs)

2.Foreign arab al aqaeda fighters are seeking haven in somalia(Somalis are not known for letting foreigners tell them what to do especially arabs. So again complete rubbish)

3.Somalia could become a safe haven for alqaeda(Again nonsense great loyalty is paid to clans and tribes in somalia)Trust me people would know which tribe was hiding arab or foreign fighters.

This all reminds me of the post iraq war. The more false allegations are made. The more the ordinary public believes them. I remember one time the bbc said that the police needed to detainpeople for 90 days because suspects had to "pray five times a day".