Somali capital rests peace as both rival sides stay alert

(SoamliNet) Mogadishu, the capital city of the war torn horn of African nation (Somalia) is quiet and some of the displaced people are returning back to their bullet destroyed homes, after days of heavy clashes between militia of warlords and Islamic fighters, that left at least 100 people most of civilians dead and more than 200 injured, as medical officials confirmed.

“I feel now that the situation is stable; there is no gunfire in the city, I hope the conflict would be resolved through dialogue” one of the residents in the battle areas told Somalinet on Monday.

The atmosphere of the capital is calm and it is raining with people expressing their happiness over the little tranquil but both rival sides are still in their positions ready to fight.

Meanwhile residents at Sisi Fagah areas in north of Mogadishu where heavy gunfire raged have today took the streets in peaceful demonstrations. They were waving leafs and portraits, pleasing with the little peace.

The demonstrators marched through between the rival sides who are is still on their positions, chanting slogans like ‘stop the war, we don’t want more bloodshed, please come to agreement to get peace and life’.

Nevertheless, the chairman of mediation board of Mudulod clans Sheik Muse Agaweyn expresses his expectation to move apart from militia of Islamic courts and those of anti terror alliance at Sisi area of northern Mogadishu, stressing to end the conflict in the capital through dialogue.

The separate peace efforts in north and south of Mogadishu indicate to tackle out the hostilities through clannish means since both rival groups are belonging to Hawiye ethnic who are dominant in Banadir province.

The minister of public housing in the transitional federal government Osman Hassan Ali ‘Atto’, who is from Habar-gidir clan of Hawiye ethnic, said he is trying to mediate between what he called ‘rival men of my clan’ involving the meaningless clashes in the capital and to reopen all the roads blocked by the militias of Islamic courts and anti terror alliance.

His comments came while he was talking to reporters after meeting with chairperson of Islamic courts’ union Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and chairman of self styled authority of lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia Yusuf Mohamed Siad Indha-ade.

Analysts believe Mogadishu is the epic-center for the political crisis in lawless Somalia, with western countries branded it as haven for suspected terrorists who might cross Indian Ocean.

by Mohamed Abdi Farah