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MILITARY BUILDUP IN SOMALIA SCARED THE UN September 9, 2005
The United Nations withdrew its staff from Jowhar, the interim capital of Somalia after hundreds of armed men in military uniform swarmed this small town. The UN moved about a dozen of its international employees to Nairobi, Kenya and Wajid Somalia in fear of armed confrontation between the fragile Jowhar based government and powerful Mogadishu warlords who do not recognize it.
The government is urging the UN to return its staff back to Jowhar and saying the military buildup was misinterpreted. According to Jowhar authorities, the military reached there to secure the city and government assets, and was not meant for stirring unrest in the region. However, many Somalia politics insiders believe militarizing Shabelle region is recipe for bloodshed and renewed civil war in southern Somalia.
Ethiopia is the interim government’s lifeline and Mogadishu warlords vow to bring it down before it stands strong.