Islamist Rebels Threatening Fragile Somali Government

[Turborama]

Source: Washington Post

By Stephanie McCrummen

NAIROBI, May 17 -- A major offensive by Somalia's Islamist rebels is posing the most serious challenge yet to the country's latest central government, reviving longstanding concerns that the chaotic Horn of Africa nation could fall entirely to al-Qaeda-linked militants.

Ten days of heavy fighting across the bombed-out capital of Mogadishu and other areas has pitted the Islamist rebels -- now operating openly with hundreds of jihadists from the United States, Britain, Pakistan, Chechnya and other places -- against the fragile government of President Sharif Ahmed, a widely-respected moderate Islamist once vilified by U.S. officials but now regarded by Washington as Somalia's last, best hope.

Momentum has been swinging back and forth between the government and rebels for days, but on Sunday it seemed to shift to the rebels. In a major blow, they took a key government stronghold, Ahmed's hometown of Jowhar, about 50 miles north of the capital, giving them control of major routes to the north.

The rebels have for the past year controlled virtually all of southern Somalia, where local leaders -- some Somalis call them Islamist warlords -- have imposed a harsh version of sharia law, publicly flogging people who don't attend Friday prayers and chopping off hands of alleged thieves.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051701296.html?hpid=topnews

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1. There is no Somali central government, that's what the fighting is about. nt

[Turborama]

2. Islamic militants seize Somali city

(CNN) -- Somalia's hard-line Islamic group Al-Shabab seized control of Jowhar, the president's hometown, after a battle with pro-government forces Sunday.

Jowhar is a major town 55 miles (88 kilometers) southeast of Mogadishu, the capital.

"All businesses are closed and residents are already fleeing while Al-Shabab are roaming the streets," a local journalist said.

The town had been under the control of forces backing the transitional government, which is scrambling to cope with deadly advances from Al-Shabab in Mogadishu.

Al-Shabab was once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. The United States says the group is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network, and the U.S. backed an Ethiopian invasion that drove the ICU from power in 2006.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/17/somalia.militants/index.html