Fighting erupts in Somali capital

 

Somalia’s interim government and its Ethiopian allies have been hit with near-daily attacks by unidentified fighters in the capital.

 

The interim government blames remnants of the Islamic Courts movement they drove out of Mogadishu and southern Somalia in a two-week joint offensive before the New Year.

 

The Islamic Courts, who ruled much of southern Somalia for six months until they were defeated in early January, have vowed to fight a guerilla war against the government and Ethiopia.

 

The government is awaiting the deployment of 8,000 African Union (AU) peacekeepers to replace the Ethiopian troops and help stabilise Somalia.