Posted on 08/08/2009 4:03:37 PM PDT by csvset
Overnight gun-battles between rival clans in a pirate stronghold on the coast of Somalia have left at least 17 dead and 30 injured, reports say.
Local residents in Haradheere fled as fighting, reportedly over land and the alleged rape of a woman, intensified.
Pirates who operate in the area, a port off the shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia, said they were worried the conflict could affect their activities.
Somalia, torn by civil war since 1991, lacks an effective central government.
"The two clans are fighting over land and a girl who was raped in the forest," a local man, Farah Aden, told Reuters news agency.
"Unfortunately, the battles spread into town. Fighting is going on fiercely."
A pirate, who gave his name as Mohammed, told Reuters that those involved in piracy around the port were concerned that their activities would be damaged.
"We are all members of these two clans, and we are worried that this fight might end up being taken out on to the ocean," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Looking for the down side here...nope, can’t find it.
"Those ruffians! So violent!"
Oh oh. Can't have than no can we.
No doubt the UN will be calling for the US to go stop the fighting, so they can get back to hijacking ships and feeding their poor little families.
All disgust at the UN aside, If anyone has a way of spreading some more rumors between these rival scumbags, now would be an ideal time. The more they kill each other, the better as far as I'm concerned.
Here, let me give you a hint: ... uh, gee, sorry, I can’t think of a hint. Dang! Now I forget the downside I was going to hint at.
Hillary just left Somalia, maybe that them off...
“Somalia, torn by civil war since 1991, lacks an effective central government.”
This statement is only partially true. The former Italian part of Somalia (where the above incident takes place, has no government. The former British Somaliland, which now calls itself The Republic of Somaliland, Is the defacto government of the Northern part of the country and is trying to cut loose from the anarchic South.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somaliland
A pirate named mohamed, go figure. Arghh! Me mateies, first a broadside with aks and rpgs then we board! 72 virgins all around!
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