A spokesman for the African Union Mission in Somalia says that AU and Somali forces have pushed Islamist militants out of a town on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu. Paddy Ankunda said Friday that the troops crossed into Afgoye earlier in
the day and that most of the town was now under their control, while
some fighting with al-Shabab militants was still going on.
The capture of Afgoye represents a major advance for African Union and
Somali troops, who have made strong gains against al-Shabab over the
last year. More than 300,000 internally displaced Somalis live around
Afgoye, but Islamist rebels have blocked delivery of humanitarian aid
for them.
Al-Shabab has held the Afgoye corridor for years in its campaign to
overthrow Somalia's United Nations-backed transitional government and
impose strict Islamic law. The group once controlled most of southern
and central Somalia, but has steadily lost ground in the past 18 months
to AU, Somali, Kenyan and Ethiopian forces.
The U.N. mission in Somalia has described the offensive as a "carefully
planned operation" in which troops are taking every precaution to
prevent harming civilians.
Somalia's main political groups ended three days of talks Wednesday
agreeing to support a political process leading to a post-transitional
government by August. The six parties agreed to put some difficult
issues and disagreements aside in the interest of keeping to a timetable
for creation of a post-transitional government in less than 90 days.Somalia has not had a stable government since its H. E. Honourable Somali President
Mohamed Siad Barre... Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre departing words to the Somali people
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