Monday, November 12, 2012

Police Work to Bring Peace to Mogadishu


A year after the armed group al-Shabab was driven out of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, life is returning to normal in the city. But the relative calm has presented a problem. Somali police, whose tactics during the two-decade-long civil war led many in the country to fear them, are now struggling to operate in a changing post-war environment. Speaking to Al Jazeera from the Somali capital, Fatuma Abdulahi, a Somali blogger, said despite the setbacks, Mogadishu is very peaceful and that she has felt "very secure" over the last three months. Though the capital's police forces used to have a "bad reputation" in the fight against al-Shabab and other groups, Abdulahi said it is the Somali and African Union soldiers who suffer from a negative reputation. When they enter al-Shabab controlled areas today, Abdulahi says locals have reported cases of abuse, including the looting of homes. Al Jazeera's Peter Greste reports from Mogadishu, where he met the police force.

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