Somalia: "Islamist fighters" take over town "peacefully"

Before spending too much time with that conundrum, this report confirms that "Most of Somalia's towns are now under Islamist control as analysts describe that it was simple for Islamists to seize towns as they received huge support from the residents."

"Islamist fighters peacefully take over southern Somali town," from People's Daily, November 3 (thanks to Jeffrey Imm):

Islamist insurgents have peacefully taken over the coastal town of Marka in the south of Somalia and announced the formation of an Islamic administration, local residents and reports from the southern town said Sunday.

"There were no fighting in the town (of Marka) and we just saw Islamist forces in the town and their commanders speaking with people in the town," Aden Omar, a local resident told Xinhua by phone.

Yusuf Siyad Indha Adde, the Defense Secretary for the main opposition group, the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS), who led the Islamist forces that took over the town, spoke with local residents.

"We will form an Islamic administration for this town, which will represent all residents of this town, which will not be governed other than by the Islamic law," Indha Adde told a crowd of people who gathered near the town hall.[...]

Marka, a relatively peaceful town, has recently been the scene of numerous attacks on local and international humanitarian workers.

Posted by Raymond at November 3, 2008 11:58 AM
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