Somalia's transitional government has announced it will take tough measures against those behind the violence and killings that are increasing in the capital, Mogadishu. "The security forces of the government will double its clearing operation against the insurgents hiding in Mogadishu to ensure the security and fight against crimes," said deputy defence minister Salad Ali Jelle, pledging an "iron first" against "extremists." (Somali NetRadio, Jan 30)

Through its website, the ousted Islamic Courts Union is claiming secret detainments by the transition government and allied Ethiopian troops—and that some detainees are being summarily executed or turned over to the United States.

The Courts Union said a large number of ethnic Somalis have been arrested in Kenya and deported to Mogadishu, including women and children. The report claims some of these "are expected to be secretly executed in Mogadishu in the coming days. Anonymous sources say the execution process will be carried out under a high-level of secrecy and that members of the media will be totally kept in the dark about the act, and completely censored regarding reporting of the exact number of prisoners deported from Kenya, as well as those transferred to Ethiopia. The suspects are accused of having worked with the Union of Islamic Courts." The report charges that those who are not set to be executed are being sent to Ethiopia, or turned over to a US warship off Somalia's coast. (Union of Islamic Courts website, Feb. 7)

Sources via BBC Monitoring

See our last post on the struggle in the Horn of Africa.