Mon, Aug 04, 2008 - Page 1 News List

Somali explosion kills 20

AP AND AFP , MOGADISHU

An explosion killed at least 20 people in the Somali capital yesterday, amid a political crisis that has threatened the government’s peace deal with elements of an Islamic insurgency.

Medina Hospital admitted 47 wounded people, mostly women and children and many in critical condition, a hospital official said.

The explosion followed last month’s peace deal, which has fueled power struggles within the transitional government and the Islamic insurgency it is fighting.

In a separate attack, Islamic insurgents on Saturday targeted the military bases of Somali government troops and their Ethiopian allies in north Mogadishu.

The attacks end a period of relative calm that followed the signing of the peace deal, which is on shaky ground after 10 of the government’s 15 ministers on Saturday said they would resign.

The pact was already in jeopardy after a moderate cleric who signed it on behalf of the Islamic opposition was replaced Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, who rejected the deal.

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