| The 17-year-old winner of a holy Quran recital and general knowledge competition organised by Al Shabaab rebels in Southern Somalia got an AK-47 gun, two hand grenades, a computer and an anti-tank mine as prizes. The runner-up in the month-long competition aimed at 10-25 year olds, a 22-year-old, received an AK-47 and ammunition at the ceremony, where the rebels urged parents to allow children to learn how to handle weapons and fight against the enemy. Somalia's 18-year conflict now pits Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam rebels against the UN-backed government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. |