Attack on Somali market amid political crisis

[Adsos Letter]

Source: AP

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Mortars slammed into a busy market in Somalia's capital Tuesday, witnesses said, as the country's weak government crumbled and the impending pullout of allied Ethiopian troops raised fears that Islamic insurgents might seize the opportunity to take over.

The fighting began after Islamic insurgents attacked bases of government soldiers and African Union peacekeepers, said Salado Mohamed Farah, a shop owner at Bakara market. He said mortars fired in retaliation hit the market, which the government has accused the insurgents of using as a base.

The bloodshed _ so common in this lawless nation in the Horn of Africa _ adds to the deepening political crisis. Ethiopian troops who are propping up Somalia's government will leave the country within days despite the turmoil caused by the resignation of the Somali president on Monday, an official said Tuesday.

Wahide Belay, a spokesman for the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said he did not want to discuss a specific date for the departure, which many fear will create a power vacuum and allow Islamist insurgents to take over Somalia.



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