Somalia Hit by Insurgents

At least 20 people were killed and more than 50 injured, on Thursday, when a battle broke out between African Union peacekeepers and insurgents, in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The clashes started out when the anti government fighters discharged mortar bombs aimed at the international airport in the city.

President Sharif Ahmed was boarding a plane to leave for an African Union summit in Uganda, when the airport was bombed. "The mortars hit the perimeter of the airport," said police spokesman Abdullahi Hassan Barise adding that, "the plane carrying the president took off safely."

President Ahmed, who was elected to office earlier this year after the end of Ethiopia's two year occupation of the country, is supposed to be attending a meeting in Kampala to sign a treaty for the protection of displaced people. The President rules only parts of the country, as most of Somalia is still dominated by militants.

Somalia is not new to violence and is plagued by bloody battles almost everyday due to the constant efforts of Al-Shabab. A strong group, which reportedly has links to Al-Qaeda, has been trying to overthrow the weak UN backed government for a while now. Since 2007, almost 19,000 innocent people have been victims of this incessant fighting between the two sides, which have resorted to indiscriminate use of violence. Almost 1.5 million people have either internally or externally migrated, fearing for their lives.

Since 1991, that is almost 18 years ago, Somalia has had more than 15 governments that have come to power. This was after the civil war that overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. The Horn of Africa nation has pretty much been in chaos ever since, allowing piracy to thrive in its waterways. There have also been reports that terrorists have used the nation as a base to plot attacks in the region and against other countries.