2007 timeline of the War in Somalia

The timeline of events in the War in Somalia during 2007 is set out below.

Timeline

January 1, 2007

On January 1, Islamists abandoned their last stronghold in Kismayo. After their departure, looters took to the streets, but order was restored shortly. The Islamists are reportedly retreating toward the Kenyan border. Kenya has boosted security at the border to prevent them from entering their territory.cite news
last =Gentleman
first =Jeffrey
coauthors =
title =Islamists Abandon Final Stronghold in Somalia
publisher =New York Times
date =2007-01-01
url =http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/01/world/africa/01cnd-somalia.html?ex=1325307600&en=219795c92d6f40e7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

African and Arab League countries have called on Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia, but these troops practically constitute the military might of the Interim Government whose head, Ali Mohamed Gedi, insists the Ethiopian troops stay in Somalia until he no longer needs them. [cite news
title =Ethiopians to stay on in Somalia
publisher =BBC
date =2007-01-02
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6224163.stm
accessdate = 2007-01-03 ]

In a move to curb resistance against the come-back of the Interim government, after the take-over of Mogadishu on Friday, Ali Mohammed Gedi swiftly announced the introduction of martial law, but such a measure, taken on the background of what is seen as foreign occupation, is already sparking the organization of guerrilla warfare in the capital. [cite news
title =Ethiopian troops unlikely to withdraw from Somalia
publisher =Somalinet
date =2007-01-01
url =http://www.somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6333
accessdate = 2007-01-03 ]

On December 31, 2006, Sharif Sheik Ahmed, chairman of the Islamic Courts Union, along with other senior ICU officials in the port city of Kismayu about 500 km (310 miles) south of Mogadishu, urged Islamist supporters across the country to initiate an insurgency to wage guerrilla war against the Ethiopian troops backing the Somali transitional government. Ahmed issued the statement after the Muslim Eid prayers on Saturday: "I call on the Islamic Courts fighters, supporters and every true Muslim to start an insurgency against the Ethiopian troops in Somalia. We are telling the Ethiopians in Somalia that they will never succeed in their mission. By Allah, they will fail... We will not allow the Ethiopian troops to stay peacefully in Somalia." [cite news
first=Aweys Osman
last=Yusuf
title =Somalia: Islamists Vow a Rebellious War As Ethiopian Troops Head to Kismayu
publisher =Allafrica.com
date =2006-12-31
url =http://allafrica.com/stories/200612300075.html
accessdate = 2007-01-03 ]

January 2 2007

*2 Ethiopian, 1 insurgent, 2 civilians killedTwo Ethiopian soldiers were killed and three injured by one gunman in the town of Jilib. The suspected Islamist gunman was killed along with two Somalis later in the day. [cite news
title =Somali gunman kills two Ethiopians after takeover
publisher =Reuters
date =2007-01-02
url =http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-01-02T225655Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-282063-1.xml&archived=False
accessdate = 2007-01-02 ] Kenya sealed its Somali border with helicopters, soldiers, and police in order to prevent Islamists from entering. During the course of the day Ethiopian helicopters accidentally bombed a Kenyan border post at Har Har, but did not cause any causalties. The Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf also met with Mwai Kibaki in Mombasa, Kenya. [cite news
title =Net tightens on Somali Islamists
publisher =BBC
date =2007-01-02
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6225927.stm
accessdate = 2007-01-02 ]

Prime minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopia is not able to stay in Somalia because of the high economic burden that would come with a prolonged troop investment. A call for peacekeepers has been made but many countries are reluctant to intervene without a clear mission and are wary of what happened in prior peacekeeping missions. [cite news
title =Ethiopia Plans to Pull Troops From Somalia
publisher =New York Times
date =2007-01-02
url =http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/02/world/africa/02cnd-somalia.html?hp&ex=1167800400&en=fa7db4bdd841d764&ei=5094&partner=homepage
accessdate = 2007-01-02 ]

On January 2, 2007, US Marines operating out of Lamu, Kenya, were said to be assisting Kenyan forces patrolling the border with Somalia with the interception of Islamists.cite news
title =Kibaki meets Somalia president as tension at border persists
publisher =The Standard (Kenya)
date =2007-01-03
url =http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143963283
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

January 3 2007

Ethiopian aircraft and attack helicopters struck the town of Doble (Dhoobley), Afmadow province, not far from the Kenyan border. The strikes were presumably to hit ICU elements attempting to cross the border. Fighting tailed off after midnight.cite news
title =Battle for Somalia nears Kenya border - residents
publisher =Reuters
date =2007-01-03
url =http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0383709.htm
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

A return to normality in the capital was furthered by the re-opening of the Mogadishu airport.cite news
title =Somalia: Air travel resumes at Mogadishu int'l airport
publisher =Garowe Online
date =2007-01-03
url =http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6862.shtml
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

January 4 2007

Unconfirmed reports said six Kenyan herders were killed by Ethiopian aircraft that crossed over the border of Somalia. Cordoning off the border, 20 Kenyan tanks were dispatched to patrol the frontier stretching between Liboi, in Garissa district to Kiunga, Lamu district. Reports said ICU troops were split across Afmadow and Badade districts, and possibly concentrated at the former Al-Ittihad Al-Islamiya (AIAI) stronghold of Ras Kamboni.cite news
first=David
last=Ochami
coauthors=Nzau Musau
title =6 Kenyans killed in Somalia air strikes; border closed
publisher =Kenya Times
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.timesnews.co.ke/04jan07/nwsstory/topstry.html
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] TFG and Ethiopian forces reported taking district capital Afmadow (January 2), and Dhobley along the Kenyan border (January 3), and were presently en route to Badade, the district capital just north of Ras Kamboni.cite news
first=Salad
last=Duhul
coauthors= Elizabeth A Kennedy, Mohamed Olad Hassan, Mohamed Sheikh Nor, Salad Duhul, Nasteex Dahir Farah, David Ochami, Godfrey Olukya
title = Kenya tightens border with Somalia
publisher =Mail & Guardian, Associated Press
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294906&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] In Nairobi, up to ten of the twenty Somali Members of Parliament in Kenya who were alleged to have ties to the Islamic Courts were taken into custody. One report said five were taken into custody. Another report said ten.cite news
title =Five Somali MPs nabbed in Nairobi
publisher =Garowe Online
date =2007-01-05
url =http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6905.shtml
accessdate = 2007-01-06 ] cite news
title =Ten Somali MPs arrested in Nairobi
publisher =Shabelle Media Network
date =2007-01-05
url =http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2009.htm
accessdate = 2007-01-06 ]

Unknown gunmen but thought to be Somali Islamists fired shots at a Kenyan security helicopter patrolling near the border with Somalia. The helicopter was flying over the southeastern Kenyan border town of Hulugho. The report did not say if the aircraft was damaged but said gunmen fired smalls arms from the region of Ras Kamboni, the base for the fleeing Islamists.cite news
title =Somalia: Gunmen shot at Kenyan helicopter
publisher =Somalinet
date =2007-01-03
url =http://www.somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6422
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

In Mogadishu, TFG militias set up checkpoints in the city. At one checkpoint, a group of militia apparently attempted to extort money from the driver of an oil tanker truck. In the ensuing argument, a rocket was fired at the vehicle, injuring at least 2 or 3 people. The vehicle had been carrying dozens of passengers who disembarked before the rocket attack.cite news
title =Somalia: Militias burn vehicle, wound 3 at illegal roadblock
publisher =Garowe Online
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6870.shtml
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] cite news
title =Truck attacked in Somalia, many wounded
publisher =Reuters
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=345497
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] cite news
last =Yusuf
first =Aweys Osman
title =Somalia: Two people are injured after armed militias open fire at a truck
publisher =Shabelle Media Network
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne1996.htm
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

January 5 2007

On January 5, 2007, Sheikh Farah Moallim Mohamud became the highest-ranking member of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) to be captured by the Ethiopian-Somalian forces. He was apprehended near Beledweyne then later released because of the general amnesty offered to Islamists who surrendered to the government.cite news
title =Somalia: High-ranking Islamist official captured
publisher =Garowe Online
date =2007-01-06
url =http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6908.shtml
accessdate = 2007-01-06 ]

On January 5, 2007, TFG Defense Minister Col. Barre Aden Shirre Hiiraale announced: "Today we will launch a massive assault on the Islamic courts militias. We will use infantry troops and fighter jets... They have dug huge trenches around Ras Kamboni but have only two options: to drown in the sea or to fight and die."cite news
title=Somalia's Islamists Vow to Heed al-Qaida
publisher=Associated Press
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/05/AR2007010501815_2.html
date=2008-01-05
accessdate=2007-01-08 ] Fighting continued January 6 in the jungles south of Kismayo near the Kenyan border, where it was reported the Islamists were holding out armed with over 100 technicals.cite news
title =Fighting between Islamists and government forces continues near the Kenyan border
publisher =Shabelle Media Network
date =2006-01-06
url =http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2013.htm
accessdate =2006-01-06 ]

Battle of Ras Kamboni

*16 insurgents, 44 civilians killedThe battle at Ras Kamboni was fought over January 5–12, 2007. During the operations, a US airstrike hit Badmadow Island in an attempt to kill Al Qaeda operatives embedded within ICU forces, and a series of Ethiopian airstrikes occurred to the north in Afmadow district.

January 6 2007

On January 6, a crowd of more than 100 rioters gathered near Tarabunka square in Mogadishu. They protested the presence of Ethiopian troops as well as the plans to disarm the populace. Prime Minister Ghedi issued a decision to postpone the disarmament for an indefinite amount of time.cite news
title =Somalia: Riots in Mogadishu, disarmament postponed
publisher =Garowe Online
date =2006-01-06
url =http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6909.shtml
accessdate =2006-01-06 ]

January 7 2007

*1 Somali soldier, 1 civilian killedClashes broke out between Somali protesters and Ethiopian soldiers in the border town of Beledweyne after a town official was arrested for refusing to hand over a leading member of the Islamic Courts Union. Three people were reportedly injured. cite news
title =Protests hit Somali border town
publisher =BBC News
date =2007-01-07
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6239035.stm
accessdate =2006-01-07 ]

A small skirmish has broken out in the Somali capital Mogadishu between Somali militiamen and the Ethiopian forces killing at least two persons and wounding two others. The clashes came after armed militiamen attacked military vehicles belonged to Ethiopian troops passing in front of the Sahafi hotel in southern Mogadishu. Both the dead and the injured were Somalis. The dead persons were a 13-year-old girl and a TFG soldier who died when his hand grenade accidentally exploded and one of the wounded was an old man who was in serious condition. [cite news
first=Mohamed Abdi
last=Farah
title =Somalia: Clashes kill one in Mogadishu
publisher =Somalinet
date =2007-01-07
url =http://www.somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6492
accessdate =2006-01-08 ]

January 8 2007

On January 8, 2007 as the Battle of Ras Kamboni raged, TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed entered Mogadishu for the first time since being elected. It was announced the government would be relocated to Villa Somalia, in Mogadishu, from its interim location at Baidoa.cite news
title=Somalia president visits Mogadishu after Ethiopian victory
publisher=Garowe Online
date=2008-01-08
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6960.shtml
accessdate=2007-01-08 ] Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Addow, representative of the ICU, speaking from Yemen, said the Islamic Courts were ready to enter negotiations with the Transitional Federal Government. However, TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed categorically refused to hold peace talks at this stage.cite news
title=We want negotiations with govt, says Islamist official
publisher=Garowe Online
date=2008-01-08
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_6963.shtml
accessdate=2007-01-08 ]

On January 8 it was reported that an AC-130 gunship belonging to the United States military had attacked suspected Al-Qaeda operatives in Southern Somalia. cite news
title=U.S. airstrike targets al-Qaida in Somalia
publisher=MSNBC
date=2007-01-08
url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16531987/
accessdate=2007-01-08 ] Most casualties were said to be Islamic fighters. The aircraft flew out of its base in Djibouti. Many bodies were spotted on the ground, but the identity of the dead or wounded was not yet established. The targeted leaders were tracked by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as they headed south from Mogadishu starting on December 28.cite news
title=Reports say U.S. targeted al Qaeda suspects in Somalia
publisher=Reuters
date=2007-01-09
url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?storyid=2007-01-09T010418Z_01_N08416210_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SOMALIA-QAEDA-REPORT.xml&type=worldNews&WTmodLoc=World-C3-More-6
accessdate=2007-01-09 ] One attack was made well inland at Hayo (or Xayo, approx. Lat 0º28’ N, Long 41º49’ E), a village halfway between Afmadow and Dhobley.cite news
title=US warplane strikes in Somalia
publisher=Independent Online
date=2007-01-09
url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=22&art_id=qw1168326542151B254
accessdate=2007-01-09] It was also reported that the aircraft carrier USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" had been moved into striking distance.cite news
title =U.S. targets al Qaeda suspects in Somalia, Pentagon official says
publisher =CNN
date =2007-01-08
url =http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/01/08/somalia.strike/index.html
accessdate = 2007-01-08 ] Other named US Navy vessels joining the maritime cordon included the USS "Anzio" and the amphibious landing ship USS "Ashland".cite news
title=U.S. warplanes from newly dispatched carrier flying missions over Somalia
publisher=Associated Press
date=2007-01-09
url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/latestnews/200719/43568.htm
accessdate=2007-01-09] On January 8, 2007, to the north of Ras Kamboni, elsewhere in Badhadhe province, an Ethiopian force intercepted Islamist forces in the area of the Kenyan border town of Amuma, Garissa district. Seven vehicles were destroyed. A platoon of Kenyan border police were in the area to enforce the border closure.cite news
title=Kenya: Seven Islamic militia vehicles destroyed in battle
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/East%20Africa/6495
publisher=SomaliNet
date=2007-01-08
accessdate=2007-01-09 ] In Afmadow province, Ethiopia launched airstrikes against targets near Afmadow and Dhobley.cite news
title=Ethiopian fighter jets bomb southern Somalia
date=2007-01-08
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2031.htm
accessdate=2007-01-09 ]

January 9 2007

*1 Ethiopian soldier killedOn January 9, 2007, seven Pakistani members of the Tabliq (Tablighi Jamaat) were arrested in Mogadishu near the Presidential Palace of Villa Somalia, causing a local protest.cite news
title=Somali forces arrest seven religious Pakistanis
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
date=2007-01-09
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2040.htm
accessdate=2007-01-09] Ethiopian and Somali troops were attacked in Mogadishu for the second time in a week with one soldier reportedly being killed and others wounded. A young girl was also wounded in the attack.cite news
title=Explosion kills one soldier in Somalia capital
publisher=Somali Net
date=2007-01-09
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6545
accessdate=2007-01-09]

An insurgent attack on government barrack began at 7:30pm, Tuesday, near KM4 (Kilometer 4 Street), which resulted in one soldier dead and six wounded. The firefight lasted an hour.cite news
title=Somalia: More than three dead in skirmishes in Mogadishu
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2043.htm
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
date=2007-01-10
accessdate=2007-01-10 ]

On January 9 it was reported U.S. special forces and CIA operatives are working with Ethiopian troops on the ground in operations inside Somalia, and have been involved in numerous missions since the beginning of the war. US forces have been operating from Galkayo within Somalia, and from Camp Le Monier, the large American base camp established in Djibouti following 9/11. [cite news
title =U.S. Special Forces Engaged in Operations on the Ground in Somalia
publisher =ABC NEWS
date =2007-01-09
url =http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/01/us_special_forc.html
accessdate = 2007-01-09 ] cite news
title=America’s Boots on the Ground in Somalia
url=http://www.pajamasmedia.com/2007/01/americas_boots_on_the_ground_i.php
publisher=Pajamas Media
date=2007-01-09
accessdate=2007-01-09]

January 10, 2007

*1 Somali soldier killedOn January 10, 2007, due to the barrack attack, significant street fighting broke out in Mogadishu stretching from dawn to afternoon in a multi-party daylight clash between troops of the national government, Ethiopian soldiers, Islamic insurgents and local militias. Government soldiers cordoned off areas of the city and began a house-to-house search for weapons. At Medina hospital, 15 people, including three government soldiers, had been admitted for gunshot wounds over the past 24 hours, and patients overflowed the hospital's 65 beds. At least one TFG soldier was reported to be dead at the end of the day.cite news
title=Weapons Raids in Somalia After Violent Night
publisher=New York Times
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/world/africa/11somalia.html
date=2007-01-10
accessdate=2007-01-10 ]

On January 10, chief of staff to the Somali president, Abdirizak Hassan, stated that the US claimed Al Qaeda suspect Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, one of the FBI's most wanted terrorists, was killed in the AC-130 attack on January 8, as detailed by a US intelligence report. Earlier, a US military official reported that Ethiopian forces provided the targeting information needed for the attack. The official also said that five to 10 people were killed in the airstrikes. However, a Somali official countered that US airstrikes killed 31 civilians.cite news
title=Report: U.S. Kills Qaeda Bomber In Somalia
publisher=CBS News
date=2007-01-10
url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/10/world/main2344598.shtml
accessdate=2007-01-10] At least four more AC-130 airstrikes were said to have hit Ras Kamboni.cite news
title=Report: Somalia: Al Qaeda militant killed
publisher=CNN
date=2007-01-10
url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/01/10/somalia.strike.ap/index.html
accessdate=2007-01-10] Somali politician Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig toured the area and spoke of 50 killed in the attacks. He said additional targets hit include Hayo, Garer, Bankajirow and Badmadowe. The U.S. government denied the additional attacks were made by the US. Ethiopian aircraft are also known to be operating in the combat area.Fact|May 24, 2007|date=June 2007 The verification of the death of Mohammed followed private comments made by US Defence Department officials that further airstrikes were possibly being planned.cite news
title=Pentagon says Somalia attack not the end
url=http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/01/10/a1.somalia.0110.p1.php?section=nation_world
date=2007-01-09
accessdate=2007-01-12 ] A second planned attack was reportedly called off after losing track of the target.cite news
title=Official: 2nd U.S. Attack in Somalia Called Off
url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,242740,00.html
date=2007-01-10
accessdate=2007-01-12 ]

January 11, 2007

Unknown Somali fighters launched grenades into Hotel Ambassador in Mogadishu, exchanging gunfire with Somali and Ethiopian troops positioned inside the hotel. One of the wounded soldiers is in critical condition and is a personal body guard of Gen. Ali Madobe, the Somali national police chief.cite news
title=Somalia: Attack on hotel housing Somali, Ethiopian soldiers
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_7027.shtml
publisher=Garowe Online
date=2007-01-11
accessdate=2007-01-11 ]

On January 11, the American ambassador to Kenya said that the US claimed Al Qaeda suspect Fazul Abdullah Mohammed was actually still alive and that none of the Al Qaeda members were killed in the air attack but some members of the ICU were killed.cite news
title=Al-Qaida suspects still alive in Somalia
publisher=AP
date=2007-01-11
url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070111/ap_on_re_af/somalia
accessdate=2007-01-11]

January 12, 2007

*8 insurgents killedUp to seven people were killed when the militiamen of clan leader Mohamed Afrah Qanyare fought members of a rival clan who were guarding the presidential palace. All of the dead were said to be Qanyare's fighters.cite news
title=Gunmen attack Somali president’s house
url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16591262/
publisher=MSNBC
date=2007-01-12
accessdate=2007-01-12] There were reports that the fighting was sparked by a parking dispute involving an armored vehicle.cite news
title=Somalia: Deadly battle in Somali capital
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6255085.stm
publisher=BBC News
date=2007-01-12
accessdate=2007-01-12]

According to Oxfam, a British-based aid agency, 70 herdsmen were killed in recent air raids targeting Islamic militants.cite news
title=Clashes mar Somali talks, Oxfam says raids kill 70
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011200786.html
publisher=Washington Post
date=2007-01-12
accessdate=2007-01-12]

On January 12, TFG Defense Minister Barre Aden Shirre Hiiraale announced Ras Kamboni had fallen to the Somali government and Ethiopian forces after five days of heavy fighting. Remnants of the Islamist forces were being pursued into the nearby forests and fighting would continue.cite news
title=Islamic hideout in Somalia said captured
url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4466900.html
date=2007-01-12
publisher=Associated Press
accessdate=2007-01-12] A small team of US forces investigated the site of the US gunship attack to search for information about the identity and fate of the targeted individuals.cite news
title=U.S. troops seek airstrike dead in Somalia
url=http://www.dailyindia.com/show/102623.php/US-troops-seek-airstrike-dead-in-Somalia
publisher=United Press International
date=2007-01-12
accessdate=2007-01-12]

In fighting in Mogadishu 8 Islamist fighters are killed.

January 13, 2007

*9 civilians killedOn January 13, nine people were ambushed and killed in Biyo Adde, 50 km northeast of Jowhar. Revenge by a sub-clan was cited as the motive.cite news
title=Nine dead in an ambush attack southern Somalia
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2068.htm
date=2007-01-13
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
accessdate=2007-01-15 ]

January 14, 2007

*13 civilians killedMultiple attacks against Ethiopian and Somali government troops broke out in the capital with reports of one dead government soldier and three others who had their weapons confiscated after an unknown group of militiamen attacked a police station in the Huriwa district. Another attack on a convoy of Ethiopian and government soldiers happened in the former Islamic Courts stronghold of Ifka Halane in Mogadishu.cite news
title=Ambush attack kills government soldier in Somalia capital
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6693
publisher=Somali Net
date=2007-01-14
accessdate=2007-01-14] cite news
title=Somalia: Explosions, gunfight stir Mogadishu night
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_7090.shtml
publisher=Garowe Online
date=2007-01-14
accessdate=2007-01-14]

At least 13 were killed and 12-18 wounded in a militia clash between the Murasade and Hawdle tribes in Goobo, between Hiran and Galgadud regions. Government forces were dispatched to the town.cite news
title=13 killed in a clan gun battle in central Somalia
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2075.htm
date=2007-01-14
accessdate=2007-01-15 ]

In Garissa Kenya, police arrested 7 Somalis, suspected of being fleeing Islamic militiamen heading towards Nairobi. One was wounded. 10 others escaped.cite news
title=Kenyan police arrest seven Somalis in Garissa
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2080.htm
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
date=2007-01-14
accessdate=2007-01-15]

January 15, 2007

*1 Somali soldier, 1 civilian killedOn January 15, a gun battle lasting at least an hour killed at least two people in Eimiska, a northeastern neighborhood of Mogadishu. Attackers in two pickup trucks fired rocket propelled grenades at an Ethiopian and government convoy. One man known to have been killed was thought to be deaf and therefore did not respond when soldiers ordered him to go back.cite news
title=Somalia: Two dead in a heavy fighting in Mogadishu
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2081.htm
date=2007-01-15
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
accessdate=2007-01-15 ] The same day, the TFG closed the radio stations for Shabelle Radio, Horn Afrik, IQK, and the television station Al-Jazeera in Mogadishu without explanation.cite news
title=Somalia: Govt. closes Radio stations in Mogadishu
url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6700
publisher=SomaliNet
date=2007-01-15
accessdate=2007-01-15 ] cite news
title=Somali FM radios including Shabelle and Aljazeera TV are shut down
url=http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne2087.htm
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
date=2007-01-15
accessdate=2007-01-15 ]

On January 15, it was reported a British SAS team was also on the ground at the Kenyan border looking for the fleeing Al Qaeda suspects.cite news
first=Hala
last=Jaber
coauthors=Michael Smith
title=British help hunt al-Qa'ida in Somalia
url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21059631-2703,00.html
date=2007-01-15
publisher=Sunday Times, Reuters
accessdate=2007-01-15 ]

January 17, 2007

On January 17, 2007, conflicting reports emerged over whether Sheikh Sharif Ahmed had been arrested near the Dadaab refugee camp in the Garissa district of Kenya.cite news
title=Top Islamist commander arrested
url=http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143963732
date=2007-01-17
accessdate=2007-01-17
publisher=East African Standard ] Also today, a U.S. official in a press conference said she believed the U.S. AC-130 raid had killed eight soldiers of Aden Hashi Farah Ayro, head of an Islamist militia. Ayro is believed to have been wounded in the attack and perhaps killed.cite news |title= U.S. raid may have hit top Somali militant: Pentagon |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070117/ts_nm/somalia_usa_raid_dc_1 |date=Jauary 17, 2006 |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=2006-01-17]

Also on that day, the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense for African affairs, Theresa Whelan, clarifed the airstrike conducted on January 8 was not the work of the CJTF-HOA, but of another force which she did not specify. The target of the strike was confirmed to be Aden Hashi Farah Ayro, who was believed wounded or possibly dead, while eight members of his group were killed in the attack.cite news |title= U.S. raid may have hit top Somali militant: Pentagon |url=http://www.alaskareport.com/reu77361.htm |date=Jauary 17, 2006 |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=2006-01-17]

The US ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, said the US pledged $40 million to support the deployment of the IGASOM peacekeeping force for Somalia.cite news
title=US gives Somalia Sh6.4 billion
url=http://www.timesnews.co.ke/18jan07/nwsstory/news3.html
date=2007-01-17
publisher=Kenya Times
accessdate=2007-01-17 ]

January 19, 2007

On January 19, 2007 the pro-Islamic Courts Union website [http://www.qaadisiya.com Qaadisiya.com] featured a video describing the reformation of the ICU into the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations (PRM). On January 24, Sheikh Abdikadir was announced to be commander of the PRM in the Banadir region.cite web
title=Somalia Enters a Devolutionary Cycle
url=http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_printable&report_id=612&language_id=1
date=2007-02-02
publisher=Power and Interest News Report (PINR)
accessdate=2007-02-09 ]

On the same day, the AMISOM mission was formally defined and approved by the African Union at the 69th meeting of the Peace and Security Council.cite news
title=69th meeting of the peace and Security Council
url=http://www.apanews.net/article.php3?id_article=19420
date=2007-01-22
publisher=Agence de Presse Africaine
accessdate=2007-02-09]

January 22, 2007

On January 22, Malawi agreed to send a half-battalion to a battalion (ranging widely anywhere between approximately 400 to 1,200 troops) for a peacekeeping mission to Somalia.cite news
title=Malawi to send peacekeepers to Somalia
url=http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-6XPDQ4?OpenDocument
date=2007-01-22
publisher=IRIN
accessdate=2007-02-09]

January 23, 2007

On January 23 2007, Ethiopia began withdrawing from Mogadishu and all other areas in Somalia.cite news
title=Ethiopia begins Somali pullout
url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/096144C1-84E6-42F7-B7A7-F224822FF7B1.htm
publisher=Al Jazeera
date=2007-01-23
accessdate=2007-01-23 ]

January 24, 2007

On January 24, the U.S. admitted to have made a second airstrike, but did not confirm the exact date or location of the strike.cite news
title=Military Official Reports Second US Air Strike in Somalia
url=http://voanews.com/english/2007-01-24-voa67.cfm
publisher=Voice of America
date=2007-01-24
accessdate=2007-02-06] Also on that day, Nigeria pledged a battalion (a force between 770 and 1,100 troops) to join the Somali peacekeeping mission.cite news
title=Nigeria to send peacekeeping battalion to Somalia
url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyid=2007-01-24T172204Z_01_L24359913_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml
date=2007-01-24
publisher=Reuters
accessdate=2007-02-09 ]

January 25, 2007

*1 Ethiopian soldier killedOn January 25 2007 an Ethiopian soldier was killed and another seriously injured in Karamiyo, one of the last towns to fall to the Ethiopians. It is estimated that more than 3,000 Islamist gunmen have gone into hiding. cite news
title =Ethiopian soldier dies in Somalia
publisher =BBC
date =2006-01-27
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6298725.stm
accessdate = 2007-01-27 ]

January 31, 2007

On January 31, the PRM released a video warning African Union peacekeepers to avoid coming to Somalia, claiming "Somalia is not a place where you will earn a salary - it is a place where you will die."cite news
title=Somali extremists post video warning to peacekeepers
url=http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article20040
publisher=Associated Press
date=2007-01-31
accessdate= ]

February 1, 2007

The USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" was withdrawn by the US and redeployed to the Persian Gulf. Other ships of its carrier strike group, the USS "Bunker Hill" and the USS "Ashland" remain off the coast of Somalia.cite news
title=Navy Scales Back Presence in Somalia
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_7380.shtml
date=2007-02-01
accessdate=2007-02-01
publisher=Associated Press ]

Also on February 1, Burundi committed to the peacekeeping mission, pledging up to 1,000 troops.cite web
title=Burundi joins Somalia peace force
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6319937.stm
date=2007-02-01
accessdate=2007-02-09
publisher=BBC]

February 2, 2007

On February 2, the United Nations Security Council welcomed the advent of the African Union and IGAD-led peacekeeping mission.cite web
title=Security Council press statement on somalia SC/8947 AFR/1495
url=http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc8947.doc.htm
publisher=United Nations Security Council
accessdate=2007-02-09 ]

February 9, 2007

On February 9, a gathering of 800 Somali demonstrators in north Mogadishu, where Islamist support was strongest, burned U.S., Ethiopian, and Ugandan flags in protest of the proposed peacekeeping mission. A masked representative of the resistance group, the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations, said Ethiopian troops would be attacked in their hotels; the same group had made a video warning peace-keepers to avoid coming to Somalia.cite news
title=Diplomats stress need for all-inclusive talks on the future of Somalia
url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-02-09-somalia_x.htm
publisher=Associated Press
date=2007-02-09
accessdate=2007-02-09 ] By this date, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi and Burundi had committed to the peacekeeping mission, but the total force was about half of the proposed 8,000-strong force.cite web
title=Peacekeeping protests in Somalia
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6347809.stm
publisher=BBC
date=2007-02-09
accessdate=2007-02-09 ] Uganda had pledged 1,400 troops and some armored vehicles for a mission lasting up to 9 months, and the AU had pledged $11.6 million.cite web
title=Off to Somalia
url=http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/uganda/articles/20070209.aspx
publisher=StrategyPage.com
date=2007-02-09
accessdate=2007-02-09 ]

February 11 2007

*1 Somali soldier, 8 civilians killedAn explosion at a ceremony in the southern Somalian port city of Kismayo has killed at least four people and injured 24 others, including senior military officers and regional leaders, witness have said. General Adbi Mohamed, the recently appointed Somali military chief, was reportedly among the injured. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2FDBD5CB-DE8E-44BD-AB21-1FFAE68C16E2.htm]

Mortar attacks in two areas of Mogadishu have killed at least five people and injured several others, a day after a pro-Islamic courts group said it would step up violence. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B00D82AF-014C-4CD2-A8FA-C8DD93DD8853.htm]

February 15, 2007

On February 15, in Houston, Texas, U.S. citizen Daniel Joseph Maldonado (Daniel Aljughaifi) was charged with "training from a foreign terrorist organization and conspiring to use an explosive device outside the United States." He had been extradited by Kenyan authorities after he fled there. In the charges, it was alleged he took part in training at camps near Kismayo and Jilib where members of Al-Qaeda were present and was willing to become a suicide bomber if he became wounded.cite news
title=US Citizen Charged with Training to Fight Jihad in Somalia
url=http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/local_news/article/0,1891,TRN_5784_5353948,00.html
date=2007-02-15
accessdate=2007-02-16 ]

In Mogadishu, a mortar and rocket barrage killed at least one person and wounded more than 10. At least five mortar rounds were fired at the Mogadishu seaport. Three landed on the adjacent beach where a teenage boy was killed and others were wounded. Another mortar round landed in the Black Sea neighborhood of Mogadishu. Ethiopian troops, barracked in the old Somali National University campus, responded with a rocket counterattack. Six others were wounded around the city in scattered mortar attacks. It was the first night of violence after two mostly peaceful days in the city.cite news
title=Somalia: One person dies after Mortars explode in Mogadishu
url=http://shabelle.net/news/ne2332.htm
date=2007-02-15
accessdate=2007-02-15
publisher=Shabelle Media Network ]

February 16, 2007

On February 16, Uganda announced it would soon deploy 1,500 well-seasoned troops under the command of Major General Levi Karuhanga. The troops had been training for two years in preparation for the mission.cite web
title=Ugandan Troops Set to Arrive in Somalia as Part of AU Force
url=http://shabelle.net/news/ne2336.htm
date=2007-02-16
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
accessdate=2007-02-16]

Elsewhere in Somalia on this day:

* Mogadishu - one man was killed after being robbed for his mobile phone, and a worker at the Libyan embassy was also shot and later died of his wounds.cite web
title=Somalia: Insecurity alarmingly rages in Mogadishu
url=http://shabelle.net/news/ne2339.htm
date=2007-02-16
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
accessdate=2007-02-16] A former Defense Ministry compound, which had been occupied by civilians, was cleared and re-occupied by Somali troops. One man was injured after he pulled a gun on the troops.cite news
title=One wounded as Somali troops evacuate compound
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/One_wounded_as_Somali_troops_evacuate_compound.shtml
publisher=Garowe Online
date=2007-02-16
accessdate=2007-02-16]

* Baardheere - a gunman attacked two MSF Spain staff. MSF doctors and staff are in the town working to reopen the largest hospital, which had been closed for the past decade. The workers were uninjured. Local tribal leaders pledged their support for the work of MSF in the region.cite news
title=A gunman opens fire at the employees of MSF Spain in southern Somalia
url=http://shabelle.net/news/ne2340.htm
date=2007-02-16
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
accessdate=2007-02-16 ]

* Kismayo - Deputy police commander Abdi Gaab announced that the police force of 1,500 police members securing the city had confiscated a collection of arms, including heavy rounds and explosives.cite news
title=Weapons, explosives confiscated in Kismayo
url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Weapons_explosives_confiscated_in_Kismayo.shtml
publisher=Garowe Online
date=2007-02-16
accessdate=2007-02-16 ]

February 18, 2007

*1 Somali soldier, 4 insurgents killedOn February 18, 2007 Mogadishu witnessed its first car bomb, with four fatalities.cite news
title=Somalia: Car blast kills four in Mogadishu
url=http://www.somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/7693
publisher=SomaliNet
date=2007-02-18
accessdate=2007-02-20 ]

In an ambush in Mogadishu 1 TFG policeman was killed. [ [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/7693 Latest News - SomaliNet ] ]

February 20, 2007

*16 civilians killedOn February 20, a series of mortar attacks left 16 dead and 42 wounded. The total wounded in mortar attacks in the capital since the beginning of the insurgency exceeded 90.cite news
title=Sixteen killed as mortar blasts hit Mogadishu
url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1172003404671B254
publisher=Reuters
date=2007-02-20
accessdate=2007-02-20 ] cite news
title=Somalia: Mogadishu mortar exchanges wound 42--Hospital sources say
url=http://shabelle.net/news/ne2369.htm
date=2007-02-20
publisher=Shabelle Media Network
accessdate=2007-02-20 ]

February 21, 2007

*1 civilian killedA district commissioner was killed in Mogadishu. [ [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/7792 Latest News - SomaliNet ] ]

February 27, 2007

*5 civilians killedIn various attacks in Mogadishu 5 people were killed, including a government-allied militia commander. [ [http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/8014 Latest News - SomaliNet ] ]

March 1, 2007

A Ugandan vanguard of an AU peace force to help the interim government flies into Baidoa. Five days later 350 Ugandan troops land at Mogadishu amid heavy fighting. [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2153189520070321?pageNumber=3]

March 6, 2007

*2 insurgents, 1 civilian killedIn fighting in Mogadishu 2 insurgents and 1 civilian were killed.

March 7, 2007

*2 Somali soldiers, 9 civilians killedAt least nine Somalis are killed when a rocket fired at AU troops hits a restaurant, inflicting the first casualties on the peacekeepers, with two wounded. [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2153189520070321?pageNumber=3]

In an ambush in Mogadishu 2 TFG policemen were killed.

March 16, 2007

*7 civilians killedIn fighting in Mogadishu 7 civilians were killed.

March 21, 2007

:"main: Battle of Mogadishu (2007)"
*37 Ethiopian, 11 Somali, 1 Ugandan soldier, 427 insurgents, 1,176 civilians killedInsurgents drag soldiers' bodies through Mogadishu, during heavy fighting between them and Ethiopian and government forces. At least 16 people are killed including 5 soldiers and 65 are wounded. At the end of the day a cease fire was implemented but heavy fighting with more casualties continued six days later. [http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2137456720070321]

March 23, 2007

Truce between Ethiopian military forces and tribal clans in Mogadishu.

A cargo plane, with 11 people on board, was 2007 Mogadishu TransAVIAexport Airlines Il-76 crash over Mogadishu. An Islamic group claims responsibility for the attack.

March 26, 2007

Huge explosion in an Ethiopian military base in Mogadishu, Ethiopian soldiers respond with indiscriminate fire killing one civilian.

March 27, 2007

Unknown gunmen kill the Somali military official Darud Bier in a mosque of Kismayo.

Combats between insurgents and Somali police in Beledweyne, two police men injured.

March 29, 2007

At least 30 people died in south and north Mogadishu in violent fighting between Ethiopian forces and Somali insurgents. Ethiopian helicopters attacked rebel positions, while the insurgents were calling on the people of the city over the mosque loudspeakers to resist the Ethiopians. Among the killed were 15 Ethiopian soldiers, the rest were civilians.

March 30, 2007

Islamic insurgents shot down an Ethiopian Mi-24 military helicopter in Mogadishu.

April 1, 2007

A truce brokered by influential Hawiye-clan elders between the government and the Council of Islamic Courts failed to stop fighting that has left the streets of Mogadishu strewn with dead bodies.cite news
title=Truce Fails to Stop Somali Fighting
url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOMALIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-04-01-14-02-45
date=2007-04-01
publisher=Associated Press
accessdate=2007-04-01]

April 4, 2007

Amnesty International feared resumption of the indiscriminate attacks that have taken place in the recent days in Mogadishu, resulting in the killing of over 400 civilians. The organization demanded Somalia’s President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and all armed groups to ensure that their forces strictly abide by international humanitarian law and take all necessary measures to protect civilians.cite news|title=Somalia: Fears of resumption of conflict in Mogadishu; 400 civilians killed and thousands fleeing|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR520072007|date=2007-04-04
publisher=Amnesty International|accessdate=2007-04-04]

April 21, 2007

At least 165 people have been killed in Mogadishu since April 17, in combats between Ethiopian military forces and Somali insurgents.

April 24, 2007

A car bomb exploded outside the Ambassador Hotel in Mogadishu, killing 11 people.

A suicide microbus bomb killed 6 people in an Ethiopian military base in Afgoi, 30 km south of Mogadishu.

April 25, 2007

A missile hit a hospital ward, in Mogadishu, packed with civilians wounded in fighting between Islamic insurgents and Ethiopian troops allied to the Somali government.cite news|title=Missile Hits Hospital Packed With Civilians in Mogadishu|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268423,00.html|date=2007-04-25|publisher=Fox News Channel|accessdate=2007-04-25]

April 26, 2007

Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi of Somalia's transitional government is claiming victory over insurgents in Mogadishu. But a former member of parliament, Omar Hashi, now in exile in Eritrea and allied with some Islamists fighting the transitional government, denies that the transitional government is in control of the volatile capital.cite news|title=Somali PM Claims Victory in Mogadishu|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-04-26-voa36.cfm|date=2007-04-26|publisher=Voice of America|accessdate=2007-04-26]

April 28, 2007

Clashes between U.S. backed-Ethiopian forces and fighters aligned with the Islamic Courts Union in the capital Mogadishu are being described as some of the heaviest fighting in the city's history. Humanitarian Crisis Worsens in Somalia: Over three hundred people had been killed over the past two weeks. This comes just three weeks after another series of battles claimed at least a thousand lives.cite news|title=Humanitarian Crisis Worsens in Somalia |url=http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/04/28/18406356.php|date=2007-04-29|publisher=Indybay|accessdate=2007-04-28]

May 3, 2007

Human Rights Watch documented how Kenya and Ethiopia had turned the region into Africa’s own version of Guantanamo Bay, replete with kidnappings, extraordinary renditions, secret prisons and large numbers of “disappeared”.cite news|title=Somalia war - Turning the region into Africa’s Guantanamo |url=http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=aEUata0seqzpa5a4Ta6va.axamal&folder=aEUaiFaoaraiaaal&Name=Editorial&sImageFileName=&dtSiteDate=2007-05-02|date=2007-05-03|publisher=The Himalayan Times|accessdate=2007-05-03]

May 16, 2007

*5 Ugandan soldiers, 1 civilian killedA roadside bomb hits a convoy of Ugandan peacekeepers in Mogadishu, killing five and wounding five Ugandan soldiers. A child is also killed in the attack.

May 17, 2007

*1 Somali soldier killedA TFG soldier is killed in an ambush in Mogadishu.

June, 2007

*2 Kenyan soldiers killedTwo Kenyan policemen that had been kidnapped by Islamist fighters were found murdered on the border with Somalia after the arrest of scores of suspected Somali Islamists trying to enter Kenya. [ [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/newswire.php/news/reuters/2008/06/01/topnews/somali-gunmen-attack-kenya-police-to-free-prisoners.html&template=/news/feeds/story-template-reuters.html Somali gunmen attack Kenya police to free prisoners ] ]

June 2, 2007

*12 insurgents killedIn fighting in Bargal 12 Islamist insurgents are killed.

June 2, 2007

*3 civilians killedA US warship attacked a village in northeastern Somalia, killing 8 Islamist insurgents.

At least 3 people were killed in several shooting attacks in Mogadishu.

June 3, 2007

*7 civilians, 1 insurgent killedA suicide truck bomb exploded in front of Somali prime minister's house, killing 7 people and injuring dozens.

An Ethiopian military convoy was attacked by a roadside bomb in the north of Mogadishu.

June 22, 2007

*7 Somali soldiers killedIn fighting between rival army units in Kismayo 6 people were killed. [http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=182217&s=&i=&t=Six_killed_as_rival_Somali_troops_clash Six killed as rival Somali troops clash ] ]

In Mogadishu an army officer was killed and a second injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside explosion.

June 26, 2007

*2 Ethiopian soldiers, 9 civilians killedTwo Ethiopian soldiers were killed and two wounded in a roadside bombing in Mogadishu, another two people were killed earlier in the week in Mogadishu and 5 civilians were killed and 8 wounded in a grenade attack on a Somalia military convoy which was passing near Mogadishu’s Bakara market yesterday. [http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-06/2007-06-28-voa19.cfm?CFID=167212302&CFTOKEN=44975987 Somalia Violence Kills 2 Soldiers, 2 Aid Workers ] ] [ [http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne3165.htm Somalia: Ethiopians soldiers killed in roadside bomb blast in Mogadishu ] ]

In a separate attack two Somalis working for the International Medical Corps relief agency were killed late Wednesday in El-Berde.

July 29, 2007

*2 Somali soldiers, 2 civilians killedTwo TFG soldiers and two civilians were killed when insurgents attacked a military patrol in Mogadishu's Bakara market. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20022365/ 4 killed in Somalia's capital - Somalia - MSNBC.com ] ]

July 31, 2007

*1 Somali soldier, 3 civilians killed40 heavily armed fighters attacked an Ethiopian base close to the Somali capital, Mogadishu.At least four people die in the fighting, with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. [cite news|title=Somali gunmen attack Ethiopians|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6923606.stm|accessdate=2007-07-31]

August 1, 2007

*4 Ethiopian soldiers, 6 civilians killedFour Ethiopian soldiers were killed after their base close to the volatile Somali capital Mogadishu came under rocket and machine-gun attack from Islamists. Also six people are killed by a remote controlled bomb in Mogadishu.

August 10, 2007

*3 civilians killedHeavily armed insurgents attacked a military base and a police station with mortars and heavy machine guns. At least three civilians died.

August 11, 2007

*2 civilians killed2 journalists are killed in Mogadishu. [ [http://cbs3.com/topstories/somalia.mogadishu.journalists.2.287652.html cbs3.com - 2 Somali Journalists Killed In Mogadishu ] ]

September 13, 2007

*5 Somali soldiers killedIn fighting in Mogadishu 5 TFG soldiers were killed.

An opposition government, consisting of members of the former Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and other Somali elements met and formed in Asmara, Eritrea. [cite news|title=Somali Opposition Groups Rally - 13 Sept 07|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsA3pCy3mQ|accessdate=2007-09-14] Somalia's interior minister, Mohamed Mohamud Guled, ridiculed the meeting and the opposition forces, saying "We are really close to eradicating them." [cite news|title=Somalia Government Ridicules Opposition Gathering in Eritrea|url=http://voanews.com/english/2007-09-13-voa17.cfm|accessdate=2007-09-14]

September 23, 2007

*3 Somali soldiers killedIn fighting in Mogadishu 3 TFG soldiers were killed. [ [http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com/2007/09/three-somali-government-soldiers-killed.html Action Center For Justice: Three Somali government soldiers killed in fierce battle ] ]

September 29, 2007

*45 Somali soldiers, 100 insurgents, 3 civilians killedInsurgents attacked three police stations and two Ethiopian bases in Mogadishu which led to the death according to some reports of 100 insurgents and 45 Somali soldiers and policemen. Three civilians were killed also. [ [http://www.biddho.com/content/view/309/29/lang,english/ Eritrea News by Biddho.com - Rising To The Challenges! - 'Somalia's President Yusuf Loses His Grip on Power' ] ]

October 4, 2007

*1 Somali soldier, 1 insurgent killedIn fighting in Mogadishu a policeman and an insurgent were killed.

October 11, 2007

*3 Ethiopian soldiers, 1 insurgent killedA suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint in Baidoa killing 3 Ethiopian soldiers. [ [http://rawstory.com/news/dpa/Suspected_suicide_bomb_in_Somalia_k_10112007.html The Raw Story | Suspected suicide bomb in Somalia kills three Ethiopian soldiers ] ]

October 21, 2007

*23 civilians killed23 civilians are killed in heavy fighting in Mogadishu. [ [http://www.biddho.com/content/view/308/29/lang,english/ Eritrea News by Biddho.com - Rising To The Challenges! - Somalia: Fighting engulfs 23 in Mogadishu ] ]

October 25, 2007

*15 civilians killedAt least 15 civilians, including women and children, were killed in a bus explosion in Mogadishu's northern district of Yaqshiid. The explosion occurred when the bus drove over an IED (improvised explosive device) or landmine while traveling to the Suuqa Holaha district in northern Mogadishu on Wednesday. [http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Bus_explosion_in_Mogadishu%2C_Somalia_kills_many_civilians]

October 26, 2007

*2 Somali soldiers killedTwo Somali soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in two separate bombings. [ [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6290959.html Two soldiers killed as gov't official survives assassination in Somalia - People's Daily Online ] ]

October 27, 2007

*7 Ethiopian soldiers, 9 civilians killedNine civilians and seven Ethiopian soldiers are killed in fighting in Mogadishu. [ [http://www.biddho.com/content/view/359/29/lang,english/ Eritrea News by Biddho.com - Rising To The Challenges! - Somalia: Over 15 people killed and dozens wounded in Mogadishu ] ]

November 1, 2007-November 6, 2007

*5 Ethiopian, 1 Somali soldier, 5 civilians killedIn various reported clashes 5 Ethiopian and 1 TFG soldier and 5 civilians are killed.

November 8, 2007

:"main: Battle of Mogadishu (November 2007)"
*9 Ethiopian, 6 Somali, 1 insurgents, 83 civilians killedOn November 8, heavy fighting between Ethiopian forces and armed men erupted on Thursday, resulting in the death of several people, including Ethiopian soldiers. The body of an Ethiopian soldier was dragged on the streets by civilians. This sparked reprisal attacks the following day. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8507F03E-7948-4859-B7B7-8A1665D85BDB.htm Al Jazeera English - News - More Bodies Found In Mogadishu ] ]

November 9, 2007

On November 9, Ethiopian soldiers were firing cannon shells into an area of the south of the city where insurgent militia men were thought to be based. Most of the 40 dead were civilians, killed by shells fired into markets and residential areas. [ [http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=97031 Javno - World ] ]

November 10, 2007

On November 10, More than twenty additional corpses were found in some parts of Mogadishu. Most of these corpses were combinations of women and elderly people killed by the Ethiopian troops. [ [http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne3965.htm Somalia: more than twenty cadavers found in some parts of Mogadishu ] ]

November 11, 2007

On November 11, two TFG soldiers were killed in an ambush while patrolling the vegetable market in Bakara district in Mogadishu. The attack sparked a gun battle between insurgents and some government forces arrived at the scene to rescue their comrades. [ [http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne3972.htm Somalia: Two soldiers killed in an ambush attack in Mogadishu ] ]

November 16, 2007

On November 16, the chief of TFG intelligence was killed and the next day insurgents attacked Ugandan troops in the K-4 neighbourhood. One insurgent was confirmed to be killed in the fighting with Ugandan soldiers. One TFG policeman and a civilian were also killed in an IED attack on the same day.

December 1, 2007

*2 Somali policemen, 3 civilians killedTwo policemen and three civilians are killed in fighting in Mogadishu. [ [http://allafrica.com/stories/200712020001.html allAfrica.com: Somalia: Five Killed in Mogadishu, Including Two Policemen (Page 1 of 1) ] ]

December 12, 2007

*3 Somali soldiers, 2 civilians killedThree Somali soldiers and two civilians are killed in fighting in Mogadishu. [ [http://www.zawya.com/marketing.cfm?zp&p=/story.cfm/sidDS121207_dsart10 Welcome to Zawya ] ]

December 13, 2007

*19 civilians killedIn mortar bombardment in Mogadishu 19 civilians are killed. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/14/2119597.htm Mortars rock Mogadishu as death toll rises to 19 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ] ]

December 17, 2007

*2 civilians killedIn fighting in Mogadishu 2 civilians are killed. Twelve soldiers, including one Ethiopian, were wounded by a road-side bomb in Baidoa. [ [http://www.topix.net/world/somalia/2007/12/bomb-wounds-12-soldiers-near-somali-parliament Bomb wounds 12 soldiers near Somali parliament - Topix ] ]

December 19, 2007

*3 civilians killed

At least three civilians are killed in fighting in Mogadishu. [ [http://www.topix.net/world/somalia/2007/12/at-least-three-dead-in-mogadishu-fighting At Least Three Dead in Mogadishu Fighting - Topix ] ]

December 20, 2007

*12 civilians killedIn mortar bombardment in Mogadishu 12 civilians are killed. [ [http://www.topix.net/world/somalia/2007/12/shelling-kills-12-in-somalias-capital Shelling Kills 12 in Somalia's Capital - Topix ] ]

December 27, 2007

*1 civilian killedIn fighting in Mogadishu's notorious Bakara market one civilian is killed. [ [http://allafrica.com/stories/200712271222.html allAfrica.com: Somalia: Insurgents Attack Three Mogadishu Locations, One Killed (Page 1 of 1) ] ]

December 29, 2007

*1 civilian killedMohamed Muhiyadin Ali, spokesman for Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Dheere, was killed in a road-side bombing in the capital. [ [http://allafrica.com/stories/200712290020.html allAfrica.com: Somalia: Mayor's Spokesman Killed in Mogadishu Explosion (Page 1 of 1) ] ]

December 31, 2007

*8 civilians killedIn mortar bombardment in Mogadishu 8 civilians are killed. [ [http://www.topix.net/world/somalia/2007/12/mortar-strike-kills-8-in-somali-capital Mortar strike kills 8 in Somali capital - Topix ] ]

Foreign involvement

Several nations and organizations are involved with the war in Somalia. Here is a brief summary.

African Union

The African Union has pledged troops to assist the TFG under the AMISOM peacekeeping mission.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia forces actively assisted the TFG in ousting the ICU from its position of military control of Somalia. They have pledged to leave as rapidily as possible and does not appear to be coordinated with planned African Union troop arrivals.

Nobody knows for sure how many Ethiopian troops are stationed in Somalia, and nobody knows how many Somalis have been killed as a result of the Ethiopian military intervention in Somalia.cite news|title=Ethiopian presence a tinderbox |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/843/re82.htm|date=2007-05-03|publisher=Al-Ahram Weekly|accessdate=2007-05-03] Ethiopia opened an embassy in Mogadishu next to the presidential palace on May 27 2007.cite news|title=Ethiopia opens embassy in chaotic Somali capital|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3217251|date=2007-05-27|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=2007-05-27] According to Human Rights Watch, Ethiopian forces backing the Somali transitional government violated the laws of war by widely and indiscriminately bombarding highly populated areas of Mogadishu with rockets, mortars and artillery. Its troops on several occasions specifically targeted hospitals and looted them of desperately needed medical equipment. Human Rights Watch also documented cases of Ethiopian forces deliberately shooting and summarily executing civilians. [ [http://allafrica.com/stories/200708130561.html allAfrica.com: Somalia: War Crimes in Mogadishu - UN Should Address Civilian Protection (Page 1 of 1) ] ]

Kenya

Kenya has sent forces to secure its border with Somalia and maybe a middle man between the TFG and former leaders of the ICU.

United Nations

Promises humanitarian relief.

Since June 15 2007 a UN mission in Somalia focused on the needs of the hundreds of the displaced Somalis. Deadly clashes have forced 490,00 Somalis to flee Mogadishu between February 2007 and May 2007. [cite news | url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200706/17/eng20070617_384995.html | title=UN mission in Somalia focuses on displaced persons |date=2007-06-17 | publisher=People's Daily]

United States

The United States has assisted Somali, Ethiopian and Kenyan forces with intelligence, advisors and limited military strikes from bases in those countries and from Djibouti. They have offered money to support a peace keeping force. The involvement of the United States is part of their War on Terrorism and specifically Al-Qaeda.

On February 23, 2007, the "New York Times" reported that the US government has been secretly training Ethiopian soldiers, for several years, in camps near the Ethiopia-Somalia border. Many of these soldiers participated in the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. The "Times" quoted unnamed US government officials who said the training program and other support for Ethiopia's government began after a failed CIA effort to arm and finance Somali "warlords." [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/world/africa/23somalia.html | title=U.S. Used Base in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda in Africa |date=2007-02-23 | author=Michael R. Gordon and Mark Mazzetti | publisher=New York Times]

US intervention against Al Qaeda

Somali Prime Minister Gedi declared one of the key objectives of the offensive on Kismayo was the capture of three alleged Al-Qaeda members, suspects wanted for the 1998 United States embassy bombings in East Africa: Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan and Abu Taha al-Sudani.

The United States Fifth Fleet's multinational maritime task force, Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150),cite news
title =Navy tries to block fleeing jihadists from Somalia
publisher =Air Force Times, Staff and wire reports
date =2007-01-03
url =http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2458956.php
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] based out of Bahraincite news
title =Navy searching for terrorists trying to flee Somalia
publisher =Navy Times, Staff report
date =2007-01-05
url =http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2463655.php
accessdate = 2007-01-05 ] is patrolling off the Somali coast to prevent terrorists launching an "attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material," said Commander Kevin Aandahl.cite news
title =Thousands Flee Somalia Fighting
publisher =Associated Press
date =2006-12-31
url =http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/157834.php?contentType=4&contentId=268733
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ] The announcement did not say what particular ships comprised the cordon, but the task force includes vessels from Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan, the UK and the US. US ships of CTF-150 include the "Arleigh Burke"-class destroyer USS "Ramage" and the "Ticonderoga"-class cruiser USS "Bunker Hill".cite news
title =Ramage, Bunker Hill keeping an eye on Somalia
publisher =MarineTimes.com
date =2007-01-04
url =http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2461109.php
accessdate = 2007-01-04 ]

See also

References