Africa Review
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Al-Shabaab militants are digging in for a big fight after they lost important positions to pro-government troops last week.
Reports
say that hundreds of militants have deployed to the southern outskirts
of the capital Mogadishu in preparation for counter attacks after ceding
territory to AU peacekeepers last week.
The mainly
hooded fighters were armed with light and heavy weapons, with most of
them were positioned at Eelasha Biyaha, a large settlement between
Mogadishu and Afgoye town, some 30 kilometres south of the capital.
“Militants
on technicals (battle wagons mounted with anti-aircraft guns) are
everywhere,” said a resident at Eelasha Biyaha who requested anonymity,
fearing reprisals.
Recently, Amisom peacekeepers from
Burundi advanced towards the southern edge of Mogadishu, pushing
Al-Shabaab militants out further.
The under-siege
group, which recently said it has joined the ranks of Al-Qaeda, has
resorted to hit and run attacks during nocturnal operations.
The renewed conflict, however, scared many settlers in the
so-called Mogadishu-Afgoye corridor where hundreds of thousands of
people who fled the fighting in Mogadishu found refuge.
As
a result, thousands of the displaced families have been moving back to
Mogadishu over the past four days to avoid being caught up in the
confrontation.
According to Oxfam, a humanitarian agency based in UK, as any as 400,000 people have moved following the displacement.