Conflict in Somalia: Islamic Courts Abandon Mogadishu as UN Warns of Humanitarian Crisis

Early this morning, Ethiopian troops backing Somalia’s transitional Government forced militias loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts to abandon their stronghold in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Over the past week the number of people killed has been estimated to be as large as one thousand. Thousands of people have also been displaced since Ethiopia sent 15,000 troops into Somalia in order to fight the Union of Islamic Courts. The Bush administration has openly backed the Ethiopian military and has opposed the Islamic Courts based on alleged links to Al Qaeda. Weeks before the invasion, General John Abizaid, the head U.S. Central Command, flew to Ethiopia to meet with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Ethiopia has claimed to be protecting its interests in the region.

* Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The US has long supported the Ethiopian military, and in May was exposed as a primary supporter of one of the Somali transitional government’s major warlord factions. Much of the international community however has not supported Ethiopia’s intervention. The African Union and Arab League have called for Ethiopia to withdraw from Somalia. Outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for Somalia’s neighbors to stay out of the crisis.

Last night the UN Security Council failed to agree to a statement calling for the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces. On Wednesday the UN also warned of an impending humanitarian crisis as aid flights to the drought-stricken population were suspended as an effect of the fighting. Somalia has not held a stable government for more than a decade. The Islamic Courts seized power this past summer from a weak but internationally-backed transitional government composed of the country’s major warlord factions.

Said Samatar is a professor of African History specializing in Somalia at Rutgers University, also managing editor of the Horn of Africa Independent Journal and author of numerous books on Somalia. He is with us in our firehouse studio. And Nii Akuette is Executive Director of Africa Action. He is also the founder of the Democracy and Conflict Research Institute, based in Accra, Ghana -- He joins us from Washington D.C.

* Said Sheikh Samatar. Professor of African history at Rutgers University with a specialty on Somalia, also executive director of the independent journal “Horn of Africa” and author of numerous books including “Somalia: a Nation in Turmoil.”

* Nii Akuetteh. Executive Director of Africa Action. He is also the founder of the Democracy and Conflict Research Institute, based in Accra, Ghana. For 10 years, Akuetteh served as the Research and Education Director of TransAfrica. He is a member of a Member of TransAfrica Forum’s Scholars Council.

* Salim Lone. Former spokesman for the UN mission in Iraq and a columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya.

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/28/1450201