|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Somalia fighting leaves 40 deadMOGADISHU, Somalia -- At least 40 people have been killed and dozens wounded amid heavy fighting in Mogadishu. Clashes erupted in the capital on Friday between forces loyal to the new transitional government and fighters loyal to the many warlords in Mogadishu. Machine-gun and anti-aircraft artillery fire was reported across the city amid a battle for control of the port, residents said. The transitional government of President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan set up last year is the country's first internationally recognised administration in nearly a decade. But it controls only a small part of the country and is opposed by many of Somalia's warlords. Arms shipmentInterior Minister Dahir Dayah said the government had ordered its troops to withdraw from the scene of the fighting to help efforts to end the confrontation, Reuters reported. But aides of warlord Hussein Aideed accused the government of provoking the fighting and of plotting to kill Aideed. The violence erupted a day after opposition warlords took delivery of a convoy of arms and ammunition in the city. Government officials told Reuters the attack was an apparent attempt to destabilise their fledgling administration. The agency reported that the arms were delivered from Ethiopia to the headquarters of Muse Sudi Yalahow in southwest Mogadishu, one of several warlords including Aideed who met in Addis Ababa in March to establish a rival government to Abdiqassim's administration. Observers say Ethiopia is nervous of any strong government in its neighbour and suspicious of perceived Islamic fundamentalist influences in Abdiqassim's government. RELATED STORIES:
Aid workers freed in Somalia RELATED SITES:
U.N. Somalia |
WORLD
U.S. 'ready to talk' with N. Korea Death toll nears 1,000 in South Asia's cold spell IAEA: Year for Iraq inspections U.S. doubles forces in Persian Gulf Mugabe resignation offer proposed OPEC to raise daily oil output (MORE)
TOP STORIES
N. Y. plans to heal skyline Stocks rise on Case departure Lieberman's presidential announcement today New arrests may be linked to UK ricin scare (MORE)
SPORTS
Jordan says farewell for the third time Shaq could miss playoff game for child's birth Ex-USOC official says athletes bent drug rules (MORE)
All Scoreboards |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Back to the top |
© 2003 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. |