Somalia: Government says it will crush rebels

Somalia’s government said Wednesday that it would crush the Islamist rebels who are trying to topple the fledgling government.

Fighting between Islamist rebels and government soldiers has killed about 120 people and injured about 300 in the capital Mogadishu for the last eight days.

Somalia minister for Planning and International Cooperation Abdurahman Abdishakur Warsame who was speaking at a ceremony commemorating the day of Somali Youth 15 May, said the government has full support from both the Somali people and the international community and added that the government will clear the rebels from the country in the coming days.

“The government is determined to defend the opposition who are Islamic gangs and we promise that we will clear them from the country,” said Mr. Warsame.

Abdiwahid Elmi Gonjeh, the deputy prime minister said it was a surprising thing that the Islamist rebels reject their leader of the Islamic Courts Union when he became the president of Somalia.

Source: Mareeg