Mogadishu, (insidesomalia.org)-Hundreds of people in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, have attended the funeral of a prominent preacher well known for his sermons against violence.

Sheikh Muhammad Ahmed Kashka, 55, was shot dead by two gunmen as he was returning home from a mosque on Monday.

In his last Friday sermon he condemned insurgents for targeting people who worked for the transitional government.

Ethiopian troops backing the government ousted the Union of Islamic Courts from

Imams address the faithful at mosque each Friday

Mogadishu in December 2006.

Since then many government officials have been assassinated by Islamist insurgents - including at least 10 of Mogadishu's 17 district commissioners.

All government associates are targets from tax collectors to businessmen felt to be backing the administration.

Correspondents say officials drive at break-neck speed through the streets of the

Somalia's security nightmare

City fearing attacks.

But a BBC correspondent in Mogadishu says it is not clear if the cleric, who was an imam in the Medina district of the city, was killed because of his sermon.

The UN estimates that violence in Mogadishu has forced 60% of the city's residents to flee and last month it warned that Somalia was the world's "forgotten crisis".

So far only 2,400 African Union peacekeepers have been sent to Somalia, of a planned 8,000-strong force.

SOURCE: BBC News

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment