- Title: SOMALIA: "FRIENDLY FIGHT" AT VILLAGE FESTIVAL
- Date: 2nd August 1967
- Summary: FILM SHOWS: VILLAGE SCENES; YOUTHS WITH STICKS AND BANNER; YOUTHS LINE UP; MAN DANCING; CROWD; CROWD WAVING STICKS. Initials JP/VS/JF/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 17th August 1967 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: AFGOI, NEAR MOGADISHU, SOMAL
- Country: Somalia
- Reuters ID: LVAZC12LUBZG12YWWHCYAP9AK0I
- Story Text: AFGOI, A SMALL VILLAGE NORTH OF THE CAPITAL, MOGADISHU, WAS THE SCENE LAST WEEK OF THE IS TUN FESTIVAL, WHICH IS PRE-ISLAMIC IN ORIGIN.
THE FESTIVAL IS ONLY CELEBRATED IN THIS TINY VILLAGE AS IT IS BASICALLY A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO SIDES ARMED WITH STICKS. USUALLY, IT IS A FRIENDLY AFFAIR, BUT DUE TO THE FIERY TEMPERAMENT OF THE TRIBESMEN, THINGS SOMETIMES GET OUT OF HAND.
THE LITERAL TRANSLATION OF IS TUN IS "HIT YOURSELF".
ALTHOUGH THIS STRUGGLE IS CONFINED TO A VILLAGE ARENA, SOMALIA HAS HAD STRAINED RELATIONS WITH TWO NEIGHBOURS -- KENYA AND ETHIOPIA.
THE PRIME MINISTER, MOHAMED HAJI IBRAHIM EGAL, SAID RECENTLY THAT HE WILL SEEK A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE BORDER DISPUTES WITH KENYA AND ETHIOPIA. BUT HE MAINTAINS THAT UNIFICATION OF SOMALI-POPULATED TERRITORIES REMAINS A SACRED AIM OF HIS GOVERNMENT. SOMALIA CLAIMS SOME BORDER TERRITORY IN NORTH-EASTERN KENYA AND SOUTH-EASTERN ETHIOPIA.
THERE HAVE BEEN FREQUENT CLASHES BETWEEN KENYAN TROOPS AND SOMALI "FREEDOM FIGHTERS" ON THEIR FRONTIER AREA FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
