SOMALIA: Somali rebel leader calls for more attacks on African peacekeepers

Record ID: 353118

  • Title: SOMALIA: Somali rebel leader calls for more attacks on African peacekeepers
  • Date: 21st September 2009
  • Summary: MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (SEPTEMBER 20, 2009) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE'S CAMP VARIOUS OF IDPS PREPARING FOR EID PRAYERS VARIOUS OF LEADER OF HIZBUL ISLAM SHIEKH HASSAN DAHIR AWES ATTENDING EID PRAYERS AT AN IDP CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Somali) LEADER OF HIZBUL ISLAM IN SOMALIA SHEIKH HASSAN DAHIR AWES SAYING: "AMISOM [the AU] is our enemy as they are repr
  • Embargoed: 6th October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Somalia
  • Country: Somalia
  • Reuters ID: LVAABRDEKZUY2VEQVDH10RSAATS1
  • Story Text: Hizbul Islam leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Awes urges Somali rebels to increase attack on African Union troops.
    The leader of Somalia's Hizbul Islam rebels on Sunday (September 20) justified the suicide bombing of an African Union peacekeeping force's base and urged insurgents to carry out more similar attacks.
    Al Shabaab, the main rebel group, which Washington says is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia, hit the African Union peacekeeping mission's (AMISOM) main base in Mogadishu with twin suicide car bombs on Thursday (September 17), killing 17 Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers.
    "AMISOM is our enemy as they are representing American interest in Somali, so its necessary to fight against them, including suicide bombing until they get out of our country," said Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys said.
    "They are the enemy of our religion and any one who can must use suicide bombing."
    Fighting has killed more than 18,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and driven another 1.5 million from their homes.
    Al Shabaab, together with Hizbul Islam, has been battling government troops and the AU peacekeepers to impose its own strict version of Islamic law throughout Somalia.
    Al Shabaab's stern religious views are rejected by many Somalis, who are traditionally moderate Muslims. But some residents credit the gunmen with restoring relative stability and a measure of law and order to areas under their control.
    Thursday's attack on the heavily guarded heart of the AMISOM peacekeeping mission, next to Mogadishu's main airport, was the worst yet on the force of 5,000 troops from Burundi and Uganda.
    Burundi was burying its 12 dead on Sunday (Spetember 20).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register