Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
July 19, 2007

More Violence Troubles Mogadishu Ahead of Peace Conference
----------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=183226B:A6F02AD83191E160F93B1FFAEBFE85C39574F7DCC14957C0 Government troops
battled insurgents overnight in Bakara market, scene of almost-daily
violence in recent weeks 





A Somali man with shrapnel wounds is carried to the hospital following
an explosion at Mogadishu's Bakara market, (File Photo - 14 July 2007)
More violence erupted in Somalia's capital Thursday as officials
prepared to resume a national peace conference.

Witnesses say government troops battled insurgents overnight in
Mogadishu's Bakara market, the scene of almost-daily violence in
recent weeks.

Residents say insurgents attacked the troops with rockets, grenades,
and other weapons. They say the sides exchanged gunfire for nearly an
hour before the fighting died down. The extent of casualties was not
immediately clear.

Somalia's interim government hopes the much-delayed peace conference
can reconcile the country's many clans and factions and restore a
measure of security.

The conference opened Sunday, but was adjourned after mortar shells
exploded near the conference site, and many delegates failed to show
up. Islamist insurgents have threatened to kill anyone attending the
meeting.

Abdi Awale, the interim government's ambassador-at-large to the United
States, told VOA (English to Africa) the conference will bring about
true reconciliation among all Somalis. He dismissed the Islamists as
nothing more than gangsters trying to "hoodwink" international public
opinion.

The Islamists controlled Mogadishu and many other Somali cities until
late last year, when the government ousted them with the help of
Ethiopian forces.

The government has since struggled to assert its authority in the face
of an Iraqi-style insurgent campaign.

Somalia has been mired in anarchy since warlords overthrew dictator
Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.




.