African Union rout Islamists

[Saigon]

More great news from Somalia....

Somalia Islamists abandon Kismayo amid AU attack

Islamist militants in Somalia say they have withdrawn from their southern stronghold of Kismayo, following an African Union (AU) military attack.

Kenyan and Somali forces launched a beach assault on al-Shabab's last major bastion on Friday but encountered fierce resistance.

A Somali commander told the BBC that AU forces were not yet in the city.

Kenyan troops are part of a force trying to wrest control of the country for the new UN-backed president.

BBC News - Somalia Islamists abandon Kismayo amid AU attack

Could this mean the fighting in Somalia will now cease, and hopefully allow the country to form the system of loosely federated states the country needs?

 

[Meathead]

More great news from Somalia....

Somalia Islamists abandon Kismayo amid AU attack

Islamist militants in Somalia say they have withdrawn from their southern stronghold of Kismayo, following an African Union (AU) military attack.

Kenyan and Somali forces launched a beach assault on al-Shabab's last major bastion on Friday but encountered fierce resistance.

A Somali commander told the BBC that AU forces were not yet in the city.

Kenyan troops are part of a force trying to wrest control of the country for the new UN-backed president.

BBC News - Somalia Islamists abandon Kismayo amid AU attack

Could this mean the fighting in Somalia will now cease, and hopefully allow the country to form the system of loosely federated states the country needs?

No. The Islamist control the country side and the government only has a tenuous toe-hold on the cities. I doubt the AU has the ability or determination to truly stabilize the country.

 

[Saigon]

No. The Islamist control the country side and the government only has a tenuous toe-hold on the cities. I doubt the AU has the ability or determination to truly stabilize the country.[/QUOTE]

Try looking at the map in the link.

Islamists still control a large swathe of land in Southern Somalia, but have now lost all of their urban centres, and have been pushed out of both Northern Somalia and the border zones with Kenya and Ethiopia.

There is a long way go to before we can declare the war over, but this could mean most of the towns in Somalia will soon be largely peaceful.

 

[Meathead]

Puntland and the northern part of the country are really not in play. The southern regions are far from stabilized.