Friday, April 13, 2007


WHERE IN THE WORLD IS--

Somalia

(This is the debut of this segment; intended to help readers visualize the location of events in current news.)

Somalia is the “Horn” of Africa, located on the upper, East side of the continent. Mogadishu is the capital.

The Associated Press reported this week:

Ethiopian-backed government troops and Islamic insurgents exchanged gunfire in northern Mogadishu early Wednesday, ending more than a week of relative calm in this battle-scarred city, witnesses said.

More than 1,000 people were killed in this skirmish alone.

Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew the dictator then turned against each other. A national government was established in 2004, but has failed to assert any real control.

The country likely is best known in the USA as the location for the film Blackhawk Down, a depiction of a 1993 battle between US forces and insurgents.

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