Somali protesters demand departure of Ethiopian troops

October 28, 2007 (MOGADISHU, Somalia) — Hundreds of protesters demanding the departure of government-allied Ethiopian troops from Somalia burned tires and threw stones Sunday in the capital, where two civilians were reported dead as the worst clashes in months entered a second day.

Several hundred protesters including many women and children took to Mogadishu’s streets, shouting anti-Ethiopian slogans, erecting burning barricades and tossing rocks. Witnesses said Ethiopian troops fired in the direction of demonstrators and two people were wounded.

“We will resist them from our country, our religion, our honor” said Ahmed Hussein, one of the demonstrators.

Heavy clashes between Islamic insurgents and Ethiopian and Somali government forces moved into a second day. The bodies of at least two new civilian victims were seen lying in the streets. Hospital staff and residents said it was the heaviest fighting in months.

Mogadishu has been plagued by fighting since government troops and their Ethiopian allies chased out the Council of Islamic Courts in December. For six months, the Islamic group controlled much of southern Somalia, and remnants have vowed to fight an Iraq-style insurgency. Thousands of civilians have been killed in the fighting this year.

Somalia has not had a functioning governments since 1991, when rival warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other.

Some 1.5 million Somalis are now in need of food aid and protection -50% more that at the start of the year -because of inadequate rains, continuing internal displacement and a potential cholera epidemic, the U.N. says.

(AP)