Somalia
Islamists, govt in Somalia trade blame over journalists' killings
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Aug 12, 2007 - 11:38:36 AM

MOGADISHU, Somalia Aug 12 (Garowe Online) - Somali government officials and Islamic Courts leaders are trading blame over the killing of two journalists, who died in separate incidents in the capital Mogadishu yesterday.

Somali PM Gedi and Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif

Prof. Ali Mohamed Gedi, prime minister of Somalia's interim government, told reporters in the Kenyan capital Nairobi that there is a "terror link" to the killings of Ali Iman Sharmake and Mahad Ahmed Elmi, both of Mogadishu-based HornAfrik Radio.

But Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, executive chairman of the Union of Islamic Courts, dismissed allegations that the Islamists were responsible for the murders.

"The [Islamic] Courts do not kill those who work for the religion and the country but they [Islamic Courts] target the enemy," said Sheikh Sharif, who was exiled to Eritrea after Gedi's government brought Ethiopian troops to help oust the Islamists from power in January.

Mohamed Dheere, mayor of Mogadishu, said on Sunday that police had apprehended two suspects in connection with the murders. [ Full story]

Ahmed Abdisalaan, a HornAfrik Radio official, escaped Mogadishu two weeks ago after he received serious threats to his life from al-Shabaab fighters, confidential sources said. He was accused of "working with the enemy," the sources said.

While abroad, Abdisalaan is expected to double his efforts to bring HornAfrik TV to the international stage so HornAfrik can broadcast the ongoing National Reconciliation Conference to a global audience.

Al-Shabaab is the militant wing of the Islamic Courts movement. Somali police officials blame Shabaab fighters for a string of assassinations on government officials.

In an online post, the Shabaab group blamed government and Ethiopian military officials for the killings of the HornAfrik journalists.

Unexplained killings, bomb explosions and shootouts have become a daily feat in Mogadishu ever since the Ethiopian army arrived.

Insurgent fighters linked to the ousted Islamists are blamed for the wave of relentless attacks on government targets. Thousands of civilians have fled Mogadishu as the killings continue, according to the UN.

Suspected insurgents attacked a district office Sunday with grenades and gunfire, neighbors said.

The attack on Bondhere district offices in central Mogadishu did not wound anyone. The attackers fled in the face of superior police firepower, officials said.

In a separate incident, an explosion wounded three people including a police officer at Mogadishu's Black Sea neighborhood, witnesses reported.

Mohamed Deek, a Black Sea area businessman, told Garowe Online that unknown men hurled grenades at police conducting house-to-house searches in the area.

He described the extent of the damage on nearby homes and businesses. He said the police did not open fire in all directions, as has been custom in Mogadishu in recent weeks.

Many civilians have been killed in the crossfire between insurgents and security forces.

Ali Gaab, a local police commander, confirmed to Garowe Online that one of his police officers was wounded in the blast.

He declined to comment on the number of arrests made by police following the attack.

Source: Garowe Online