Somalia, fazioni, repressione
Nyt 06-09-26
Le dimonstrazioni diventano scontri dopo l’occupazione
degli islamici di una città somala
JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Dopo la conquista in giugno della capitale Mogadiscio presa
con l’appoggio della popolazione ai signori della guerra legati agli USA, Le
Corti islalmiche hanno continuato ad espandere il proprio controllo.
Hanno invece incontrato l’opposizione della popolazione nella
città portuale somala di Kismayo, costa sud, non distante dal Kenya, mettendo
in fuga i signori della guerra della Jubba Valley Alliance.
Contemporaneamente centinaia di truppe etiopi hanno passato il
confine entrando in Somalia, per appoggiare il debole governo di transizione
somalo insediato a Baidoa, media città a nord di Kismayo.
Gli islamici sono fortemente contrari alla presenza
di truppe estere, e uno dei morivi dell’occupazione di Kismayo è quello di impedire
l’ingresso di truppe dal Kenia.
Nyt 06-09-26
Demonstrations
Become Clashes After Islamists
Take Somali
City
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 25
— Kismayo, one of the largest cities in Somalia, fell to Islamic forces
without a shot on Monday — but then the trouble started.
After
the city’s warlords fled and hundreds of Islamist fighters poured in, demonstrators
took to the streets and hurled stones at the Islamists.
Islamist troops responded with machine guns, opening
fire on the demonstrators and killing at least one teenage boy, witnesses said.
“We don’t want the Islamic courts!” the
demonstrators yelled, referring to the Council of Islamic Somali Courts, the
official name of the Islamic forces.
– It was the
latest episode of turmoil in a country notorious for it. The Islamist forces
took over Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, in June and have
been expanding their reach ever since. The people of Mogadishu
have by and large supported them, thankful for the stability they brought after
15 years of anarchy.
– But apparently many in Kismayo did not feel the same way. Kismayo is a major port city on the
southern Somali coast, not far from Kenya. It was ruled by warlords called the Jubba
Valley Alliance, which had vowed to resist the
Islamists.
On Sunday night, as hundreds of Islamist
fighters in heavily armed vehicles encircled the city, the warlords fled and
their militias evaporated behind them.
On Monday morning, the troops rolled into the
center of town and were initially greeted with cheers.
“Welcome to Islam,” announced one of the
Islamist commanders, Sheik Hassan Turki.
Witnesses reported that a band of fighters then took
down a Somali flag and in its place hoisted a black Islamic one. Demonstrations followed, with
young men rushing into the streets to burn tires, set up barricades and throw
stones.
By nightfall, the situation was calmer,
witnesses said, but still edgy.
Adding to the tension were news reports that hundreds of
Ethiopian troops had crossed the border into Somalia in what appeared to be a
bid to protect the fragile transitional government in Baidoa, a midsize city
north of Kismayo.
Islamist leaders in Mogadishu vehemently object to the presence
of foreign troops on Somali soil. One reason why they seized Kismayo, they said, was to establish a base
to deter any foreign troops from trying to enter Somalia
from Kenya.
Mohammed Ibrahim contributed reporting from Mogadishu, and Abukar
Karyare from Baidoa.
New York Times