By Sahal Abdulle
MOGADISHU, April 27 (Reuters) - Gunmen plundered computers and bags of sugar from a Coca Cola plant in Mogadishu on Friday during a lull in fighting between allied Somali-Ethiopian troops and insurgents, a local manager said.
The unidentified group, who were wearing uniforms, commandeered 12 trucks to drive away the booty seized in the overnight looting spree that took place after the plant was shelled, local Coca Cola manager Bashir Mohamed Araye said.
"Our offices were broken into and all computers looted. We had supplies of sugar that were supposed to last the whole year -- they were also looted," added the manager of the Somali-owned franchise in a smart and modern compound in Mogadishu.
The odd stray bullet was heard in the Somali capital, a day after Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi declared significant gains in the government's nine-day offensive to end resistance by a group of Islamist fighters, foreign jihadists and some clansmen.
But many Somalis, undergoing a refugee exodus worse than Iraq in recent months, were sceptical the war was winding down.
There was no respite for medical workers struggling with little or no supplies to patch up the wounded, many ferried to overflowing hospitals in wheelbarrows and donkey carts.
Trapped by fighting, several women gave birth in an improvised maternity ward -- a grass hut under a tree.
"In the last three days, a midwife named Asha Hamari has delivered six babies," resident Abukar Al Badri told Reuters.
"DESTRUCTION AND MAYHEM"
Mogadishu's worst fighting for 16 years has killed at least 1,300 people since February, locals say, and turned parts of the shell-shattered coastal city into a ghost town.
The United Nations has accused all sides in the Somalia conflict of breaking humanitarian law by indiscriminately firing on civilian areas in Mogadishu. U.N. spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said the rate of displacement in Somalia over the past three months was worse than Iraq in the same period.
Some 350,000 people have fled Mogadishu since February, more than a third of its one million population.
"In that one time frame, more people have been displaced inside Somalia than any place else in the world and that includes Iraq, Darfur...and Sri Lanka," she told the BBC.
Thousands of homeless have sought shelter in surrounding town and villages, sleeping under trees or out in the open, vulnerable to disease and armed thugs.
The United Nations said refugees were being charged for sitting under shade of trees by people who owned land along the road between Mogadishu and Afgooye, some 30 km (19 miles) west.
U.N. children's agency UNICEF "deplored" on Friday the shelling of the SOS hospital in Mogadishu. It said fighting was keeping it from reaching hundreds of civilians there.
The United States and European Union have criticised the Somali government and its Ethiopian military allies for obstructing aid flows. Somali and Ethiopian officials have angrily dismissed those allegations.
The European Union made public a letter from its aid chief Louis Michel to Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf complaining about mistreatment of refugees.
"There is confirmed evidence that these displaced persons are being subjected to systematic looting, extortion and rape by uniformed troops," he wrote. Both militia and "unreasonable administrative obstacles" imposed by the government were holding up aid, Michel added in this week's letter. (Additional reporting by Laura MacInnis in Geneva).
Source: Reuters, April 27, 2007
We, stupid Somalis do not deserve to be treated better than this way!
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Looting & meaningless killing became a part of our capital of Mog.lead by heartless war criminals like Abdi Qaibiid. Before we had qabil-Aids, now we have the real thing,Ethiopian Aids! Qabil aids is to be blamed, as I gacaliye@ ,see it!
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Test to see if this one will post. Hawiye are the greatest, braves people i have ever incounter.
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they looted Somalia, then so! what is wrong with looting? don't you know they killed thousands of somalis and destroy their homes. so what is wrong if they loot. i don't see anything weared.
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The servants of Ethiopia,Gedi and Yusuf and all others, will regret what they have done to the Somali people. More than two thousand people have been killed by indiscriminately shelling cililian areas, that is war crime and genocide. These warlords will be brought to justice sooner or latter. The situation in Mogadishu is precarious, warlord militia in their "government" uniforms are looting factories and super markets. These warlords are doing what they best can that is to kill, loot and cause mayhem. The resistence to the Ethiopian occupation will continue unabated and munafaq Gedi will see whether he reached victory or not. This claim will be like teh words " mission accomplished" said by Bush four years ago. Ultimately, Ethiopian occupiers will be forced to leave our country. There is no government in Somalia and Somali people will NEVER accept these warlords, so the international community should not inpose such shameless people on the Somali people. The warlords led by Abdulahi Yusuf were always against establishment of law and order. When the TNG was formed they went to Ethiopia to undermine its efforts.In other case, Abdulahi Yusuf opposed Cairo agreement and Sodere agreement. These warlords want only to loot Somalia but we will not allow them.
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My comments are being blocked because i spoke of the truth...
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There is nothing to loot in Mogadishu; the city has been looted enough by the thiefs.
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This is a victory as claimed by so called PM, as you can see the propery of citizens are being looted by invaders and their allies imported from dry regions. If this genocide and looting property is a victory at this stage, let us see what is next. We hope the Somali people in Mogadishu will bring this man to justice, if not now, Allah will ask some time. I urge Mogadishu people to fight for their rights, religion and their ethics. We wish you all the best and you will win soon and invaders will leave soon.
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