From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Tue Aug 11 2009 - 16:07:01 EDT
Somalia: Al Shabaab 'is buying govt weapons'
11 Aug 11, 2009 - 9:40:06 AM
MOGADIHSU, Somalia Aug 11 (Garowe Online) - The business of selling arms at
Mogadishu's Cirtoogte ("Sky Shooter") market is brisk.
The weapons that the U.S. government donated to the Somalia's Transitional
Federal Government (TFG) is being sold in the market, according to one
trader who asked Garowe Online to be quoted anonymously.
"The TFG weapons on sale are light weapons. We bought the weapons from
officers of the TFG at very steep price, and we sell them at higher price
because anti-TFG forces such Al Shabaab buy the weapons," says the Cirtoogte
market trader.
In July, the U.S. government gave the struggling TFG arms to defend itself
against Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam insurgent forces. A spokesman for the
U.S. State Department stated the his government had given the TFG "40 tons
of arms."
Traders at Cirtoogte market told Garowe Online that the new weapons on sale
at the market are from the Villa Somalia presidential palace.
The TFG has not so far commented on allegations that government weapons are
on sale at Mogadishu's Cirtoogte gun market.
Allegations that government weapons were being bought by the insurgents
could not be independently verified.
Last week, the U.S. government reiterated its strong support for the TFG in
a meeting between Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and the U.S.
Secretary of State, Ms. Hillary Clinton, in neighboring Kenya.
The talks were aimed at shoring up support for the struggling TFG, which is
at risk of being toppled by insurgents.
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