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| Africa Horn |
| Crossroads crossfire in Somalia |
| 2007-03-08 |
| Gun battles in the streets are a daily occurrence, as groups of gunmen face off to decide who will stay, and who will flee. On one side are the police or pro-Transitional Government militiamen , on the other side are pro-Islamic Courts gunmen, or a clan based gang that is defending, or expanding, its turf. A typical incident occurred today, as a convoy of Ugandan peacekeepers drove into Mogadishu from the airport. A group of men opened fire on the convoy, the Ugandans returned fire, and about ten civilians died in the cross fire. The attack took place at a crowded crossroads, a favorite Somali tactic (gunmen hiding amongst civilians). The Ethiopian troops, who are almost entirely gone from Mogadishu, were quick to fire back at their attackers, no matter how many civilians were in the way. As a result, there were fewer attacks on the Ethiopians. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned by the US from the Æthiopians about the long term consequences of conducting military operations in a sennnnnsitive fashion. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |