August 11, 2008: The Arab League has refused to try and raise a force of peacekeepers for Somalia. The League was believed better able to deal with the Islamic radicals in Somalia, but the Arab League remembers centuries of unrest and chaos in Somalia, and past failures to deal with it. The Arabs believe the best solution is the traditional one. And that is to wait until the Somalis tire of fighting each other. Then send in peacekeepers and more foreign aid.
In Mogadishu, the mayor, a warlord in his own right, has refused orders to leave his position. The Transitional National Government (TNG) has few resources, depending on Ethiopian troops for most of its muscle. The many armed factions that make up the TNG are largely concerned with stealing and guarding the territory they control. The factions that support the Islamic Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, and parts of the Islamic Courts Union (the ICU, which is part of the ARS) want to keep fighting and gain control of all of Somalia, but have not got the fire power to carry this off. There is a mobile group of several hundred ICU gunmen wandering around southern Somalia, living off looting towns they briefly take over. This gang concentrates on towns with small numbers of police or soldiers in residence.
The ICU has been attacking foreign aid workers (eleven killed and four kidnapped so far this year), and this has shut down several foreign aid operations. Over two million Somalis are dependent on foreign aid for food and medical care. Many armed factions depend on the foreign aid as well, both for food, and bribes extracted from truck (carrying the food) drivers at roadblocks. The ICU wants to gain control of the food aid, so as to impose their will on most of the population ("do as I say or starve.") http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/somalia/articles/20080811.aspx
In Mogadishu, the mayor, a warlord in his own right, has refused orders to leave his position. The Transitional National Government (TNG) has few resources, depending on Ethiopian troops for most of its muscle. The many armed factions that make up the TNG are largely concerned with stealing and guarding the territory they control. The factions that support the Islamic Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, and parts of the Islamic Courts Union (the ICU, which is part of the ARS) want to keep fighting and gain control of all of Somalia, but have not got the fire power to carry this off. There is a mobile group of several hundred ICU gunmen wandering around southern Somalia, living off looting towns they briefly take over. This gang concentrates on towns with small numbers of police or soldiers in residence.
The ICU has been attacking foreign aid workers (eleven killed and four kidnapped so far this year), and this has shut down several foreign aid operations. Over two million Somalis are dependent on foreign aid for food and medical care. Many armed factions depend on the foreign aid as well, both for food, and bribes extracted from truck (carrying the food) drivers at roadblocks. The ICU wants to gain control of the food aid, so as to impose their will on most of the population ("do as I say or starve.") http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/somalia/articles/20080811.aspx
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