SOMALIA: Kenya Defence Forces leading an assault against Somalia's al Shabaab militia take foreign media into Ras Kamboni, a former militia stronghold

Record ID: 362173

  • Title: SOMALIA: Kenya Defence Forces leading an assault against Somalia's al Shabaab militia take foreign media into Ras Kamboni, a former militia stronghold
  • Date: 14th December 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF SOMALIA CHILDREN STANDING NEXT TO A FENCE VARIOUS OF KENYAN MILITARY DOCTORS TREATING SICK SOMALIA CHILDREN
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Somalia, Somalia
  • Country: Somalia
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAX6XH7Q7YTT15F5T3COY5SEJV
  • Story Text: Kenyan troops fighting Somalia's al Shabaab militants took foreign media to a tour of the southern Somali region of Ras Kamboni on Tuesday (December 13).
    The area was previously held by the rebels.
    Kenya had sent hundreds of troops into southern Somalia in October to crush the insurgents it blames for a series of kidnappings on its soil and regular cross-border attacks.
    Its air force has launched sporadic strikes on what it says are rebel targets.
    The Kenya Defence Forces are backing Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces against the al Qaeda allied al Shabaab -- who are fighting to impose a strict version of Sharia law on the nation.
    The militia have fallen back against the more superior firepower of the Kenyan but have started using landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices to target the Kenyan security forces.
    However, according to a TFG intelligence officer, the offensive has seen the rebels splinter.
    "The way they used to be and the way they are now is that there is a big difference, now I can say they are very demoralised and they are very weak and they are divided into two because some of them are using another name "Emirate Islamiya" while others are still al Shabaab. When they are divided that way now I can say they are very weak and demoralised I can say," said Captain Abdikadir Mohammed.
    Al Shabaab have vowed to revenge against the region's biggest economy and bring the "flames of war" to its neighbour.
    About 9,000 Ugandan and Burundian soldiers make up the AMISOM peacekeeping force, which is propping up the shaky Western-backed Somali government and now controls much of the capital Mogadishu after al Shabaab withdrew in August from the coastal city.
    Neighbouring Ethiopia, the regional military superpower is also reported to have sent in troops further to the central parts of Somalia.
    The Horn of Africa country has been wracked by violence since the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre in 1991 allowed first warlords, then Islamist militants, to step into the political vacuum.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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