- Title: SOMALIA: Islamists bring rare peace and new worries in Somalia
- Date: 20th June 2006
- Summary: (BN11) BALAD, SOMALIA (JUNE 17, 2006) (REUTERS) SHOP KEEPER IN HIS SHOP ITEMS ON SALE
- Embargoed: 5th July 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Somalia
- Country: Somalia
- Topics: Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA8RFCOUAJQDANCJF9OH7AUCKLM
- Story Text: Until recently Somalia was run by a sea of armed men employed by self acclaimed warlords. Gunman Nur Faryama has wielded an AK-47 for nearly two decades - since he was eight years old.
Like thousands of others in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation, Faryama has spent his whole youth charging in and out of battles, and riding on the back of "technicals" - pickup trucks made into war-machines - with bullet belts draped round him.
Finally, however, the 27-year-old hopes he may be able to put his gun down, thanks to the rise to power of Islamic Courts for whom he fought in recent months.
"For 16 years, when the warlords ruled, there was no economy, no education, no nothing," he said.
"Now we have stability, we can start our lives. I would like to go to school. I don't want to be a gunman forever," he added.
Islamic militia linked to the courts ousted U.S.-backed warlords from Mogadishu earlier this month after battles that killed some 350 people. That has left them in control of an important swathe of Somalia, without central government since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Somalis in Mogadishu, Jowhar and Balad to the north, which the Islamic militia also captured last week -- almost unanimously expressed happiness at new-found stability on their streets since the power-shift.
Transport was moving more freely, business was flourishing, roadblocks had come down, and guns were less visible on the streets.
Enthusiasm on the street, however, was tempered by fears the peace may be short-lived if the Islamists' newly-won power is challenged, or that the courts could impose hardline religion on the generally moderate Muslim population. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None