Monday, April 02, 2007

Fading Hopes

For a while there, things were almost starting to look up in Somalia. In what seemed to be the most serious attempt at re-establishing order in 15 years, a Transitional Federal Government arrived in Mogadishu with the backing of Ethiopian and African Union forces. Could they stamp their authority on the country, and create a stable, working administration?

No. Thousands are now fleeing Mogadishu, after the recent violence got even worse over the last few days. It's mostly Ethiopian troops trying to put down Islamic rebels loyal to the Taliban-esque regime they helped overthrow in December. The Ethiopians were supposed to have left Somalia to let African Union forces keep the peace, but that plan's been shattered by the continued strength of the Islamic fighters. Now Ethiopian forces are flooding back into Mogadishu, as the refugees flood out. In just a couple of weeks, the best chance of stability in 15 years has turned into the worst fighting in 15 years. Peace in Somalia has suddenly never seemed so remote.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Jones

Thank you for putting the issue in the spotlight. What is happening in Somalia, now is a tragey. It is ethnic cleansing dressed up as the 'war on terror'.
The Ethiopians backed by the Americans have laid siege on the capital, where civilians are caught. Artillery rains down, there is no food and water and the hospitals are basically flooded.

This masssacre, should be front page news around the war, but no cares. Thanks for your work.

Sam Hussey
Concerned World Citizen