Two killed in attack on Mogadishu Islamic court
MOGADISHU, April 1 (Reuters) - Somali fighters backed by powerful warlords attacked an Islamic court on Saturday, killing two civilians and fuelling fears of worse to come, witnesses said.
Residents in northern Mogadishu, where the attack took place, say they may arm themselves out of fear it would ignite the kind of battles that killed scores of people last week.
Talks between Islamist militia and gunmen linked to an alliance of the capital's most prominent warlords, who dub themselves the "Anti-terrorism Coalition", collapsed on Wednesday, despite efforts by religious leaders and elders to broker a ceasefire.
"Some militia supported by the coalition attacked an Islamic court this afternoon," Abdullahi Ahmed, a witness, told Reuters. "A man and a woman were killed in the fighting. Another man was injured. The victims were all ordinary people."
The attack in one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Mogadishu took place in an area controlled by Somali Trade Minister Muse Sudi, himself a warlord and coalition member.
Many in Somalia suspect the United States has backed the warlord coalition as part of Washington's war on terrorism.
The charge has offered Islamist groups, notably the Islamic courts that have brought order to some parts of Mogadishu by imposing sharia law, another rallying cry against warlords also vying for control of the seaside city.
"SKY SHOOTERS"
Saturday's attack was seen by many as a precursor to a bigger and more lethal gun battle in the capital as tensions rise and gun prices double.
"We'll be forced to take guns against such people whose profession is to kill innocents and spill blood," Ahmed said.
Islamist militia sources told Reuters they expect a new battle at any time, having seized a port and airstrip last week.
Traders in the city's Cirtogte market said there had been a surge in demand for AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
"Gun prices have doubled because the groups that recently fought in Mogadishu are preparing themselves for more fighting," said a middle-aged gun trader, who declined to be named, adding that an Ak-47 that used to cost $240 now fetches almost $500.
Another pistol dealer said most weapons on sale arrived from Ethiopia and Bosaso in semi-autonomous Puntland in Somalia.
"The majority of my customers are ordinary people who buy the pistols for their self-defence," Abdirizak Ali, 20, said.
"Business is really good," he said as several trigger-happy militiamen tested machineguns for customers by shooting them in the air, a practice that gave the market its name meaning "sky shooters" in Somali.
The Mogadishu mayhem has shaken efforts to mend a rift that has all but paralysed Somalia's fragile interim government. Most of the warlords are lawmakers or ministers, while the Islamist factions have allies in government.
Residents in northern Mogadishu, where the attack took place, say they may arm themselves out of fear it would ignite the kind of battles that killed scores of people last week.
Talks between Islamist militia and gunmen linked to an alliance of the capital's most prominent warlords, who dub themselves the "Anti-terrorism Coalition", collapsed on Wednesday, despite efforts by religious leaders and elders to broker a ceasefire.
"Some militia supported by the coalition attacked an Islamic court this afternoon," Abdullahi Ahmed, a witness, told Reuters. "A man and a woman were killed in the fighting. Another man was injured. The victims were all ordinary people."
The attack in one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Mogadishu took place in an area controlled by Somali Trade Minister Muse Sudi, himself a warlord and coalition member.
Many in Somalia suspect the United States has backed the warlord coalition as part of Washington's war on terrorism.
The charge has offered Islamist groups, notably the Islamic courts that have brought order to some parts of Mogadishu by imposing sharia law, another rallying cry against warlords also vying for control of the seaside city.
"SKY SHOOTERS"
Saturday's attack was seen by many as a precursor to a bigger and more lethal gun battle in the capital as tensions rise and gun prices double.
"We'll be forced to take guns against such people whose profession is to kill innocents and spill blood," Ahmed said.
Islamist militia sources told Reuters they expect a new battle at any time, having seized a port and airstrip last week.
Traders in the city's Cirtogte market said there had been a surge in demand for AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
"Gun prices have doubled because the groups that recently fought in Mogadishu are preparing themselves for more fighting," said a middle-aged gun trader, who declined to be named, adding that an Ak-47 that used to cost $240 now fetches almost $500.
Another pistol dealer said most weapons on sale arrived from Ethiopia and Bosaso in semi-autonomous Puntland in Somalia.
"The majority of my customers are ordinary people who buy the pistols for their self-defence," Abdirizak Ali, 20, said.
"Business is really good," he said as several trigger-happy militiamen tested machineguns for customers by shooting them in the air, a practice that gave the market its name meaning "sky shooters" in Somali.
The Mogadishu mayhem has shaken efforts to mend a rift that has all but paralysed Somalia's fragile interim government. Most of the warlords are lawmakers or ministers, while the Islamist factions have allies in government.
posted by Marko at 4/01/2006 12:38:00 PM
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