| Port activities in Kismayu resumes after elders step in |
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| World Affairs Talk | |
| Monday, 04 June 2007 | |
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Business activities of all kind were brought to a standstill as about 800 soldiers driving dozens of vehicles mounted with heavy weaponry took up positions across the town overnight. "We have not been paid for the last six months," said one soldier. "We took over the port in order to press the government to pay us our dues." A Kismayu businessman said the situation remained tense and that the soldiers; of whom many were former militiamen who signed up recently with the interim government had threatened to take their pay by force from the port's proceeds. "Business has badly been affected by the incident," said the man. Mohamed Bashir, a Kismayu citizen, who worked as a major negotiator said, the young administration must honor its commitments to avoid more trouble. He confirmed "the troops listened to our call and left the port". He added "It is up to the government to meet their demand now." Kismayu, a major port on the Indian Ocean near the border with Kenya, was an Islamist stronghold during their six month rule of most of southern Somalia last year. Despite the presence of the Somali interim government forces in Kismayu, 500 km south of the capital, militias are still predominant in the port city. The military power of the government forces has been weakened following a heavy gun battle between two powerful rival clans in the area. Efforts to restore stability in the fractious nation have been hit by attacks blamed on guerrillas who have vowed to wage an "Iraq-style" insurgency. Since being chased out of the capital Mogadishu by the interim government and its Ethiopian allies in December 2006; the rebels have struck government buildings, convoys and Ugandan peacekeepers patrolling for the African Union. This was not, however, the first time that local armed men intercepted the operations of the port and demanded extortion money. The trouble started after the Ethiopian forces in the area were pulled out and deployed to the capital in early this year. Share & Bookmark             |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 June 2007 ) |
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