Hiiraan Online
Saturday, May 21, 2011
news InsideThe Somali government has on Friday denied any involvement in an indiscriminate shelling of civilian centers in the country’s biggest Bakara market where a bombardment on Wednesday led to the death of 16 people and injured 70 others.
Statements from both the officials of the Transitional Federal Government and the African Union peace keeping mission (AMISOM) categorically denied the shelling of the besieged market that has been at the centre of fierce fighting as government forces fought an all-out battle to dislodge Al-Shabaab fighters.
Two press statements from the both the TFG and AMISOM read that the government and its allies are not responsible for the bloody shelling that took place inside the dusty and destroyed alleyways of the strategic market.
"We are making clear that both the TFG and AMISOM are not responsible for the bloody incident in which people were killed and others were injured. We send a message of condolences to the bereaved families and for those injured we pray that they will recovery quickly” read part of the statement from Villa Somalia seen by Hiiraan Online.
In their part AU forces in Mogadishu have condemned the unsystematic shelling of civilian non-combatants describing the incident as one that was meant to inflict catastrophic distraction to civilian populations.
AMISOM Spokesman Major Paddy Ankunda said that the AU mission identifies the old market as a no-fight zone. “We take Bakara market as a protected place where no fighting can take place, because we understand the importance of the market”. We were not involved in the attack and we will never engage in indiscriminate civilian shelling” he said
The shelling of Bakara market which followed series of endless battles in the neighboring Hodan and Howlwadag districts of Mogadishu had stunned the local civilian non-combatants who bear the brunt of Somalia’s endless conflict.
The battle for Mogadishu, which has claimed many lives in the past few months, has become the focal point of the clash against Al-shabaab fighters as the restive capital suffers from more death and distractions.