20100330

africanews

Hundreds of Mogadishu residents are protesting against the Al Qaeda linked group of Al-shabaab in Somalia.
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The protesters, mostly women and children, chanted words against Al-Shabaab operations to dig up graves of old clerics in the capital Mogadishu.

The protesters also declared their support for the weak Somali government led by former Islamist union courts in Mogadishu Sharif Sh Ahmed.

Muhyadin Hassan Afrah, Head of Mogadishu’s civil society umbrella group, said residents were protesting against Al-Shabaab’s actions to destroy the tombs of respected Sufi clerics. Sufi clerics are old religious teachers in Somalia.

But Al-Shabaab spokesman said people are worshipping the remains of the dead bodies in tombs. "That is why we want to eradicate them, because there is nothing to worship or to ask help from but Allah," Ali Mohamed Husein, the head of al-Shabab told reporters in Mogadishu.

Sheikh Somow, member of Ahlu Sunna group in Mogadishu, called for a holy war against Al-Shabaab.

The demonstration was the second public protest against Al-Shabaab, which runs much of southern Somalia, while Somali government controls a few parts of the capital, where Africa Union have 5000 strong troops.

Somalia has not had an affective government since warlords overthrew long time dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.