MOGADISHU // Islamist fighters who officials feared would attack famine victims pulled out of many of their bases in the Somali capital overnight, government and rebel spokesmen said yesterday. The extent of the withdrawal and what it may mean for the relief effort was not immediately clear.
Somalia is suffering its worst famine in 60 years, with estimates that more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died in the last 90 days in the country's south alone.
Fighters allied with the Shabab militant group have blocked many aid organisations from the south and have complicated efforts to help those in Mogadishu.
"The information we are receiving is that there is a retreat from the city. This is a golden victory for the Somali people and we are committed to ensure that peace and order is restored to those areas," said the government spokesman, Abdirahman Omar Osman.
However, an Al Shabab spokesman, Ali Mohamed Rage, told a radio station that the retreat was a tactical withdrawal and that there would be no pullout from southern Somalia, the area hardest hit by famine. "The retreat by our forces is only aiming to counterattack the enemy. People will hear happy news in the coming hours," Mr Rage said. "We shall fight the enemy wherever they are."
Residents reported Al Shabab militia leaving their positions overnight. Since it was born from the ruins of another radical Islamist group in 2007, Al Shabab has never abandoned Mogadishu entirely.
Mohammed Ali said he saw about 150 Al Shabab fighters leaving the north-west part of the capital. He said they may have left town because of a lack of finances and disagreements between top leaders, explaining that he had an insight into the militia because "our brothers are that side".
Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for the 9,000 African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu, said they were verifying the withdrawal reports.
Sodio Omar Hassan, who was seeking treatment for her child's malaria at a hospital set up by African Union peacekeepers, said people were angry at Al Shabab's response to the relief effort. She said militia groups refused to allow the UN to distribute maize and cooking oil in a territory it controls.
"People are angry now they are dying," she said. "They [Al Shabab] don't bring us anything."
More than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa are in need of immediate food aid but the crisis has been exacerbated by Al Shabab's unwillingness to allow many aid organisations into the areas it controls, saying it is better to starve than accept help from western countries. The UN says 640,000 children are acutely malnourished in Somalia, where the UN has declared five famine zones, including the refugee camps of Mogadishu.
Somalis who have fled the famine zones and reached Mogadishu said militants are threatening refugees who leave the south and often stopping - and sometimes killing - the men, leading to a disproportionate number of women and children at camps for displaced people in the capital.
Somalia has been mired in war and anarchy for two decades, and piracy flourishes off its coastline. In a sign of how desperate the famine has become, many Somalis have fled from rural areas to Mogadishu, a war zone where AU peacekeepers battle the Al Shabab militants daily.
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
'Nope'
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Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
