Conflict in Somalia
Most of the fighting took place between Baidoa and Mogadishu
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Saturday, 13, Jan 2007 11:02
African headlines have been dominated in the last four weeks by news of the unfolding conflict in Somalia. InTheNews.co.uk takes a look at the developments during the last month in the Horn of Africa.
Build-up to the war
The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) controlled most of Somalia during the second half of 2006, including the country's capital Mogadishu. By contrast the weak transitional government could only cling to the town of Baidoa, in the south-west of the country.
Reports of troops from neighbouring Ethiopia massing on the border with Somalia brought the usual threats of retribution from the Islamists. After a deadline ran out on December 20th the Islamists attacked, opening the conflict as fighting broke out with government troops between Mogadishu and Baidoa. on December 21st
The Islamists' retreat
Troops loyal to the transitional government had struggled against the Islamists for much of the year in minor skirmishes and looked to be performing similarly in the early stages of fighting. A decisive shift occurred when military reinforcements from Ethiopia flooded into Somalia, however, driving the Islamists back.
UIC militiamen were forced into a retreat back to Mogadishu on Boxing Day and by December 28th were in the process of abandoning the capital, retreating to their last stronghold of Kismayo in the country's extreme south.
A new instability
Pursuing Ethiopian troops forced the Islamists out of Kismayo on New Year's Day, beginning a new era for Somalia.
But the Horn of Africa state still faced problems as the extreme instability of the situation began to take its toll. Unrest continued to disturb the capital of Mogadishu despite the clear victory of the transitional government, which was forced to impose three months of martial law on January 13th as warlords began to fill the power vacuum left by the vanquished Islamists.
Further instability is expected in Somalia during the next four weeks. You can rely on InTheNews to keep you up-to-date with the latest major developments.
The month in Africa
Other news in the last four weeks across the African continent includes:
Nigerian deaths. An oil pipeline explosion killed between 200 and 500 people in the Nigerian coastal city of Lagos on December 26th.
Darfur intervention. Outgoing UN chief Kofi Annan expressed his belief on December 23rd that Khartoum would allow UN peacekeepers to enter the Darfur region soon.
Allegations dismissed. Military investigators dismissed as baseless more than 2,000 allegations of rape by British soldiers in Kenya on December 14th.