AMISOM Officials Meet Truck Drivers Amid Second Day Strike in Lower Shabelle Region

AMISOM troops under the banner of the African Union have been accused of deliberately bombing civilian areas of Mogadishu, including the Bakara market. Scores were reported killed on October 22, 2009., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Sunday, May 12th, 2013 at 06:55 pm

Somalia: Amisom officials meet truck drivers amid second day strike in Lower Shabelle region

By Abdalle Ahmed
AFGOOYE (RBC)

Officials of the African Union Forces in Somalia [AMISOM] have met with truck drivers in Afgooye town on Sunday following a second day strike by the local truck and bus drivers in the region to protest against illegal roadblocks, RBC Radio reports.

The meeting took place at Afgooye on Sunday morning after hundreds of drivers used their cars to block the road that link between Mogadishu, the country’s capital to Afgooye, a district 30-km away from Mogadishu and the main highway that links Afgooye town to the other main districts of the Lower Shabelle region including the region’s capital of Marka.

Mohamud Nuur, a member of the truck-drivers’ committee met with the AMISOM officials told RBC Radio that the AU forces undertook to do something immediately on their complaints against illegal roadblocks set up by the government forces which forcibly embezzle cash from them.

“We have raised our complaints and the aim that we protested. We said we want the roadblocks to be removed from the highways.” Nuur said speaking to RBC Radio today.

“The problems we have are so common, the government troops loot us, they sometimes kill the drivers if they fail to pay the cash to them or even rape if there are women on the passengers.” he added.

The drivers of the local buses between Mogadishu and Afgooye also complained that the government and the Lower Shabelle regional administration did not listen them despite several calls they made previously.

There were no immediate comments from the African Union command at the Sector one which is based in Mogadishu.

RBC Radio reporter says AMISOM troops conducted this morning the first anti-roadblocks operation between Afgooye and Marka where they have dispersed armed militias from the main roads allowing free transportation.

Somali military chief has earlier warned that any soldier found on putting roadblocks will face harsh punishment but local media report even more roadblocks being set up these days by uniformed government soldiers.