Fall of Kismayo

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Fall of Kismayo
partof=the War in Somalia (2006–present)
date=January 1 2007


place=Kismayo, Somalia
caption=Somali government soldiers as they enter Kismayo
result=Government forces take control of Kismayo
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=Sharif Sheik Ahmed
Yusuf Hassan
commander2=TFG: Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=

The Fall of Kismayo occurred on January 1, 2007, when the militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopian troops entered the Somali city of Kismayo unopposed. It came after the Islamic Courts Union's forces faltered and fled in the Battle of Jilib, abandoning their final stronghold.

Background

The city of Kismayo had been the capital of the autonomous state of Jubaland under the administration of the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA) since the late 1990s. The JVA suffered the loss of Kismayo in September 2006 to an array of ICU forces with 130 technicals. [http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_printable&report_id=560&language_id=1 Somalia's Islamists Resume Their Momentum and Embark on a Diplomatic Path] PINR] [http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=283959 Witnesses: Somali Islamists advance on key port] . "Associated Press", 13 September 2006]

Course of events

In December 2006, after the Fall of Mogadishu, much of the ICU forces began a retreat towards Kismayo. But when the Battle of Jilib began on December 31, 2006, clan elders within Kismayo demanded the ICU leave the city. Mohammed Arab, a clan leader said "We told them that they were going to lose, and that our city would get destroyed." [cite news
last =Gentleman
first =Jeffrey
title =Islamists, Cornered in Somalia, Lose Local Support
publisher =New York Times
date = 2006-12-31
url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/world/africa/31cnd-somalia.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1167627600&en=0f985fc2206a870b&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin
accessdate = 2002-01-02 ] After the ICU refused, sporadic gun battles broke out between the local clans and the ICU.

The Battle of Jilib saw the ICU frontlines collapse during the night to artillery fire, causing the ICU hardliners, known as "Al-Shabaab" (literally "The Youths" or "Young Men" [http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/global.php?id=255547 America’s Somali Policy Still Dangerously Adrift] The Family Security Foundation, Inc.] [http://forums.csis.org/africa/?p=18 Washington’s Self-Defeating Somalia Policy] Matt Bryden] ), to once again go into retreat, this time towards the Kenyan border. TFG and Ethiopian forces entered the town on January 1, 2007. [cite news
last=Rice
first=Xan
title =Somalia's Islamist fighters flee last urban base as pro-government alliance closes in
publisher =Guardian Unlimited
date = 2006-01-02
url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1981021,00.html
accessdate = 2002-01-02]

With the Kenyan border blocked, the ICU remnants were described as holding up in Badhadhe district, either in the hills of the Buur Gaabo area, or in the village of Ras Kamboni along the coast near the border. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02903953.htm Somalia disarmament starts, Kenya blocks Islamists] Reuters]

References

External links

;"General"
* [http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-07,GGLD:en&q=somalia&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn Google News - Somalia]
* [http://www.google.com/search?q=somali&domains=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.counterpunch.org&sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.counterpunch.org Counterpunch - Somalia]

;"Articles Critical of US policy"
* [http://www.counterpunch.org/nasser01032007.html Somali: New Hotbed of Anti-Americanism by Nicola Nasser]
* [http://www.counterpunch.org/mire01022007.html Return of the Warlords by Amina Mire]