Islamists 'will fight to death'

Mogadishu, Somalia - The leader of an ousted Islamic group that has launched a bloody insurgency to topple the Somali government said his fighters were ready to fight to the death.
Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, whose Council of Islamic Courts ruled much of southern Somalia for six months last year, accused Ethiopian forces supporting the Somali government of indiscriminate killings.Aweys said: "They kill people remorselessly and the world does not speak of it. They only accuse the insurgents, whose only target is the enemy."Aweys, who spoke by satellite telephone from an undisclosed location, said "surrender to the enemy" would be shameful and his forces were willing to fight to the death.He and other Islamic leaders were forced into hiding after they were driven from power in December by Somali and Ethiopian troops.
Thousands of people killed
Both sides of the conflict had been accused of killing civilians, and thousands of people had been killed this year. Aweys was on a United States list of people with suspected ties to al-Qaeda, though he had repeatedly denied having ties to international terrorists.Somalia had been without an effective government since 1991, after warlords overthrew a dictator and turned on each other. The government was formed two years ago with the help of the United Nations, but was weakened by internal rifts.The intervention of Ethiopia in December prompted a military advance that was a stunning turnaround for the administration, which was struggling to assert control.Mogadishu - one of the most dangerous cities in the world - had been the scene of near daily grenade attacks and roadside bombs. At least five people were killed overnight after insurgents launched attacks on government bases, said police and witnesses on Tuesday.
Mogadishu resident Shire Haji, who lived near a government base, said: "We ducked for an hour from the torrent of gunfire between the insurgents and the government troops."
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2172659,00.html


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