You have commented 375 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Africa Horn
Mogadishu besieged
2006-12-27
Ethiopian-backed troops advanced on the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, but a Somali government envoy said they would not attack the Islamist stronghold. Ambassador Abdikarin Farah said the joint force of Ethiopian soldiers and government fighters would besiege Mogadishu until the Islamists laid down their arms. "We are not going to fight for Mogadishu to avoid civilian casualties. Our troops will surround Mogadishu until they surrender," Farah told reporters in Addis Ababa.

Earlier, pro-government forces seized Jowhar, a key southern town from their Islamist rivals in the closest battle yet to the religious movement's base. Many residents left their houses to cheer the victors, backed by Ethiopian tanks, who pursued the Islamists as sporadic gunfire echoed in the air. Farah said pro-government troops then took Balad, just 30 km (18 miles) north of Mogadishu on the road from Jowhar.

The rapid offensive came hours after Ethiopia, defending the Somali interim government, said it was halfway to crushing the Islamists, heightening fears its next step would be to use air strikes and ground troops to seize the capital.
Posted by:Fred

#42  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: .com   2006-12-27 22:41  

#41  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-12-27 21:19  

#40  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Frank G   2006-12-27 18:25  

#39  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Thoth   2006-12-27 18:01  

#38  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2006-12-27 16:54  

#37  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-12-27 16:36  

#36  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Shipman   2006-12-27 15:45  

#35  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2006-12-27 15:38  

#34  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2006-12-27 15:35  

#33  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Shipman   2006-12-27 15:07  

#32  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2006-12-27 14:55  

#31  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Anon4021   2006-12-27 14:20  

#30  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Ptah   2006-12-27 14:07  

#29  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: .com   2006-12-27 13:57  

#28  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Anon4021   2006-12-27 13:55  

#27  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: RD   2006-12-27 13:47  

#26  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: .com   2006-12-27 13:39  

#25  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: crosspatch   2006-12-27 13:34  

#24  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2006-12-27 13:27  

#23  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Steve White   2006-12-27 13:20  

#22  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2006-12-27 13:14  

#21  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: CrazyFool   2006-12-27 13:00  

#20  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2006-12-27 12:44  

#19  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-12-27 12:26  

#18  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Frozen Al   2006-12-27 12:07  

#17  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Osama Obama   2006-12-27 12:07  

#16  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Shipman   2006-12-27 12:01  

#15  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Frank G   2006-12-27 12:00  

#14  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Ptah   2006-12-27 11:46  

#13  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: .com   2006-12-27 11:45  

#12  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Frank G   2006-12-27 11:37  

#11  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-12-27 11:23  

#10  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: twobyfour   2006-12-27 11:13  

#9  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Steve White   2006-12-27 11:11  

#8  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-12-27 11:10  

#7  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-12-27 11:10  

#6  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: twobyfour   2006-12-27 11:07  

#5  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-12-27 11:05  

#4  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-12-27 11:05  

#3  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: Excalibur   2006-12-27 10:11  

#2  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: C-Low   2006-12-27 09:51  

#1  comments); ?>werwer
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-12-27 09:32  

00:00