Scores killed in fighting in Somalia
Somalia, Politics, 5/21/2004

Officials at the UN said that 60 persons at least were killed and other 200 wounded in Somalia last week, while news reported of renewed violence in the capital Mogadishu.

The official confirmed quoting their sources that the victims -- half of them are civilians -- were besieged in a fire exchange and artillery and other heavy machinery bombardment in parts of the south of the capital, Mogadishu.

The fighting -- which erupted between the warring factions and which was described as the most violent since months -- erupted at a time when war lords and tribes leaders are seeking to restore back a central government to the country in a reconciliation talks to be hosted by neighboring Kenya.

For his part, the UN secretary general envoy for Somalia Winston Topman and the UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs Maxwell Gelard expressed in a statement his " deep shock over the catastrophe of many of the civilians in the city who fight since years to achieve some peace." However, the Swiss " Sans Frontier organization -- which runs a small clinic in the southern Somali Nsour town -- on Monday withdrew its UN team temporarily after finding a land mine on the runway of planes in the town.

Southern Somalia is considered the most violent in this country which has been witnessing great chaos after the absence of the law following toppling President Muhammad Seyad Berri in 1991. Hundreds of thousands were killed because of the war and the famine since that time.

Previous Stories:
  Confrontations continue in Magadishu   (5/14/2004)
  Some 23 Somalis killed in inter groups clashes   (5/12/2004)
  At least some 100 Somalis were missed in the Gulf of Aden   (3/31/2004)

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