by Mustafa Haji Abdinur
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Ethiopian troops propping up the Somali government spearheaded the push into the southern part of Mogadishu, deploying tanks in neighbourhoods that have witnessed the most intense insurgent activity in recent months.
An AFP correspondent saw the helicopters fire missiles near the Ethiopian forces' base in the former Somali defence ministry headquarters -- another common target for insurgent attacks.
"This morning, the Ethiopians launched an operation in the southern part of the city," said an officer from African Union peacekeeping troops also deployed in Mogadishu, but not involved in the offensive.
"For us, our main concern is civilian casualties," he said.
At least 10 civilians were killed in fighting on Thursday which also shattered a shaky six-day ceasefire with the powerful Hawiye clan, which has largely controlled the Somali capital since 1991.
The ceasefire had been agreed after some of the deadliest fighting since the government and its Ethiopian allies drove out powerful Islamists from southern and central Somalia three months ago.
There had been sporadic clashes since the deal was struck last Friday but the scale of Thursday's violence made it clear that the truce had finally been thrown out of the window.
Witnesses said the civilians were killed after being caught in the crossfire between the Ethiopian soldiers and insurgent fighters.
"I have seen two people killed by stray bullets and I have also seen three others wounded. I can see the Ethiopian tanks taking positions in our neighbourhood, in front of my house," said resident Mohamed Ali Hassan.
The government has announced a crackdown on Islamist insurgent fighters in a bid to bring calm to the capital ahead of a national reconciliation conference set to start mid-April.
A small force of some 1,500 Ugandan African Union troops is currently deploying at strategic points around Mogadishu.
The AU troops plan to take over from Ethiopian forces to allow them to withdraw but have yet to make their mark in the volatile Somali capital.
Dozens of people have died and thousands of residents have fled Mogadishu since the start of the year.
A bloody power struggle that followed the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre exploded into inter-clan warfare that has defied more than 14 attempts to restore a functional government in Somalia.
Source: AFP, Mar 29, 2007