Rebels Resume Crackdown on Somali Aid

By Ella -
28 November 2011

Mogadishu (The New York Times) — The Shabab militant group ordered 16 aid agencies to shut down on Monday. These are in addition to the many that they have already blocked from reaching starving people in Somalia’s famine zones.

Heavily armed Shabab fighters then raided the offices of several aid groups, looted equipment and accused the aid workers of being spies. Many of the aid organizations were helping to deliver lifesaving assistance to millions of Somalis suffering from food shortages brought on by the drought.

It was not clear what prompted the Shabab to take action against the aid agencies. The group, which has imposed a draconian version of Islamic law in the areas it controls, is under military assault from several directions, facing troops from Ethiopia, Kenya, and the African Union.

SOURCE: Rebels Resume Crackdown on Somali Aid
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/world/africa/somali-militants-shut-down-more-aid-operations.html?_r=1

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