

He missed the sniper and two innocent donkeys were killed in the cross-fire. When a Zimbabwean soldier was wounded by a sniper earlier this month in a crowded marketplace, it was a Somali policeman who returned the fire.

Now, six months after a U.S.-led military force intervened in Somalia to help rebuild the countrys institutions, the Somali police have been reorganized and officers are on the streets in twos or threes, often alongside foreign troops.Īnd in the last three months, four have been shot dead in the line of duty. officials say is a first step to reestablishing some order in Somalias war-damaged society.ĭuring the two-year civil war here, the police force disintegrated. Richburg Bio Follow MOGADISHU, SOMALIA - A revitalized Somali police force is back patrolling this capitals lawless streets in what U.S. The police were not the military security forces or the secret service, he said. In a short period of time, more than 1,000 people have been killed, thousands more injured and over half of the citys population has fled. In practice, Mogadishu was split between several clans and faced major food, water and electricity problems.Īt the same time, the city experienced strong population growth due to large influx of rural areas.
