An ambush by local militia on a weapons convoy in central Somalia has been described as the country’s “single most serious incident of arms proliferation.” The looted weapons included assault rifles, machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades. The convoy had crossed from Ethiopia on July 15 when it was attacked near the border town of Abudwaq (Galmudug state). The consignment is believed to have been destined for one of the clans in the area that is allied with government forces waging a stalled offensive against the jihadist group al-Shabab. The price of an AK-47 has since dropped by one third on the local market. The weapons are not only likely to fuel inter-clan conflict, but they could also be bought by a resurgent al-Shabab or by bandits in northern Kenya. As al-Shabab wins back territory, it’s prioritizing its rural political message, while continuing its campaign of bomb attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.
From The New Humanitarian, July 19
Map via Wikimedia Commons
At least 32 killed in al-Shabab beach attack
At least 32 people were killed and many more wounded in a suicide bombing and gun attack on a popular beach in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, Aug. 2. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on Lido beach via an affiliated radio station. (Al Jazeera)