AU forces come under attack in famine hit Somalia

• al-Shabab see AU troops as working in collaboration with foreign 'infidel' charities
• Their opposition to foreign aid groups has not been dented by a devastating famine
• AU mission in Somalia has appealed for support from African nations

The militant group al-Shabab in Somalia launched an offensive against African Union forces Monday, despite the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.


The al-Shabab militant group invokes Islamic belief systems as a defence for its policies, but appears to be ignoring the most revered of months in the Islamic calendar, when peace and goodwill is actively encouraged.


Amid spreading famine in Somalia, the militant group attacked African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu’s northeast Wardhiigley district.


Mortars and gunfire sounded around the AU base in the area through the afternoon and it was later reported that two suspected suicide bombers had been shot and killed, while two AU soldiers had died as well.


“In the midst of a famine seizing Somalia, the extremists are choosing to focus on killing, not saving life,” said Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, the spokesman for African Union forces who have been trying to secure aid routes for groups such as the World Food Program.


“The extremists are using desperate measures to achieve their ends through their willingness to use brutal violence during the holy month of Ramadan,” he added.


According to the African Union, Al-Shabab has launched Ramadan offensives against Somali and African Union forces every year since the organisation sent troops to Mogadishu in 2007.


A spokesperson for the AU’s Somalia forces confirmed that militants appeared to be amassing in the capital, Mogadishu and warned that an intense offensive to retake parts of the city may be imminent.


The latest attacks come just days after the African Union mission in Somalia launched their own attacks on al-Shabab to enable charity groups to deliver food aid to famine-struck women and children.


Charity groups need protection as they have been banned by the extremist militants who accuse them of being anti-Muslim. Such claims have been condemned by Muslim charity groups operating the in country.


The United Nations, on the 20th of June, declared a famine in two areas of the country. It is the first time a famine has been declared since 1991, according to the UN, which says some 2.7 million civilians are starving in Somalia.


In Somalia’s rebel-held south, the rate of malnutrition is the highest in the world, approaching half the population, the UN said Monday.


The United Nations has asked for US $2.4 billion to help prevent the famine from spreading, thus far, around US $1 billion has been donated.


Meanwhile, the African Union mission in Somalia has appealed for support from African nations, a spokesperson for the military unit said more personnel and supplies are needed to secure the country and launch a proper offensive against the hard-line al-Shabab.


“African nations need to wake up,” the spokesperson said, echoing criticisms made by major UK charities such as Oxfam, which have hit out at major African countries for failing to lead the international community’s response to the famine.