[allAfrica.com]


Ban On Small Cars Traveling From Mogadishu to Baidoa Lifted

Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
NEWS
December 10, 2006
Posted to the web December 10, 2006

By Aweys Osman Yusuf
Mogadishu
Union of Islamic Courts has consented the minibuses that traveled from the
capital Mogadishu to Baidoa, a seat for the transitional government, which is
250 km away from the capital, to restart their normal transporting passengers
to Baidoa.
Small cars used as passenger minibuses were banned from traveling to Baidoa on
Saturday morning after heavy fighting between Islamic Courts fighters and
Ethiopian backed government forces clashed in Ramad Adde and Safar Noleys
villages near Dinsor district in Bai province, southern Somalia. More than 20
persons were reportedly dead and more than a dozen injured in Friday's
skirmishes.
Sheik Muktar Robow Abu Mansor, Islamic Courts first assistant security chair,
has told Shabelle Sunday that ban on small cars that transported passengers
from Mogadishu, the capital, to Baidoa was lifted this morning.
"We [Islamists] have lifted the ban on minibuses traveling from Mogadishu to
Baidoa, and there is no fear of insecurity right now," he said.
He stressed that yesterday's ban came after fear of insecurity ran high as
heavy fighting took place in villages that lie between Dinsor and Baidoa.
Many young drivers burst to happiness following the announcement of lifting the
ban on minibuses.
Islamists and Ethiopian forces are facing off in different places in central
and southern Somalia. Islamists said Ethiopian troops shelled their stronghold
in Bandiradley, 90 km away from Galkayo, a stronghold for semi-autonomous
regional government of Puntland and Ethiopian troops.
Experts fear that Somalia could become a proxy war for Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In UN report, Ethiopia has more than eight thousand troops in Somalia, but
Ethiopia denied the report and claimed it only has several hundred military
advisors and trainers in Somalia to protect the weak government based in
Baiodoa. Ethiopia also denied its troops were involved in Friday's fighting.
Eritrea has also been accused of arming and training Union of Islamic Courts in
Somalia. Eritrea denies the accusations.
Analysts say War in Somalia will become a regional one.


===============================================================================
 Copyright © 2006 Shabelle Media Network. All rights reserved. Distributed by
                   AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
===============================================================================