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MOGADISHU — Residents of Somalia's war-torn capital
fled fighting Monday after remnants of extremist Shebab rebel forces,
who pulled out of Mogadishu at the weekend, battled with government
troops overnight.
"We are very worried, and many people have already fled to stay away
from the firing," said Abdulahi Duale, a resident from the
famine-stricken capital's northern Suqaholaha district.
"We could hear shooting close to our neighbourhood," he added.
The Al Qaeda-affiliated rebels -- who had been controlling around half
of Mogadishu -- abandoned their positions in a surprise withdrawal on
Saturday.
Fighting late on Sunday took place in several locations in the south and
north of the city, as African Union-backed government troops set up
bases in former Shebab strongholds.
"We could hear the heavy fighting on Sunday night," said Huda Ali,
another resident.
"We are planning to flee because there are stray bullets reaching close
to us now."
Government officials celebrated the hardline rebel pullout, but the
Shebab say it is merely "a change of military tactics."
"It was the second day of our changed tactics, and the mujahideen
fighters carried out at least five attacks," Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz
Abu Musab told reporters.
"We have inflicted heavy loses on the enemy... where the Christian
invading forces tried to expand," he added.
However, government forces dismissed the rebel claims, reporting only
sporadic shooting as soldiers moved cautiously into former Shebab-held
areas.
"Our forces are making a gradual advancement into areas of the city
where the Islamist militants have left," said Abdikarin Dhegobadan, a
senior government officer.
"There no resistance we are encountering so far -- the very few rebels
remaining are running away, and just firing shots from faraway," he
added.
The city was quieter on Monday morning after fighting during the night,
but residents were still moving fearing further conflict.
Meanwhile aid efforts continue to reach some 100,000 people who have
fled to Mogadishu over the past two months in search of food, water and
shelter.
The UN refugee agency is due to airlift urgent supplies into Mogadishu
later on Monday -- the agency's first such operation in five years.
The UN has officially declared famine for the first time this century in
Somalia, including in Mogadishu and in four southern Somali regions, and
warned that the famine could spread. |
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Much of southern Somalia -- including the majority of regions declared
to be in famine by the UN -- is controlled by Shebab rebels, who
continue to ban several key aid agencies from operating.
Drought-hit Somalia is "the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world
today and Africa's worst food security crisis since Somalia's 1991-92
famine," the UN has warned.
Parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda have also been hit by the
Horn of Africa's worst drought in decades.
The Shebab had for two years been promising to topple the Western-backed
government in Mogadishu, but always fell short of smashing its last
defences despite a deadly and costly offensive
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