Arrahmah.Com – This is a very fascinating news piece regarding Somalia. Here are some excerpts from the article which can be found here. Some of the things mentioned in the article are inaccurate and questionable, therefore, we will only quote those things which are correct and more important:
The Islamic Courts fighters have grown more powerful in recent months, regaining control of at least one-third of Somalia thanks to sophisticated attacks and unified ranks in the face of a weak government, Somali experts said on Monday, December 3.
“The Islamic Courts fighters are controlling some 30 percent of Somalia” Mohammad Al-Amin Al-Sheikh, a Somali expert in strategic affairs, told IslamOnline.net Monday, December 3.
“They have now tightened their grip on the southern provinces,” he added, referring to the strategic provinces of Shabele Dhexe, Juba Dhexe, Juba Hoose, Hiraan and Galguduud.
Backed by the United States, the Ethiopian army intervened in December of last year in the Somali conflict to help the weak interim government oust the Islamic Courts, which managed to briefly restore unprecedented order and stability on most of the Somali territories after more than 15 years of unrest.
The Courts ruled for six months after routing an alliance of warlords, who were also supported by Washington.
Since their ouster, the Ethiopian and government forces have been coming under almost daily resistance attacks.
Why Powerful?
The Islamic fighters are more sophisticated and unified than the weak government troops, according to experts.
“The Islamic fighters outnumber the government troops, which are less experienced,” said Abu Bakr Al-Badri, a Somali journalist and political analyst.
There are some 6,400 Islamic Courts fighters including 4,000 in the capital Mogadishu, 1,500 in the south and 900 in the two provinces of Hiraan and Galguduud, according to Al-Sheikh.
