Somali army repels al Shabaab attack
BINDURA, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabeand his wife Grace launched a scathing attack on Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, accusing him of fanning factionalism within the ruling Zanu-PF party at the weekend.
This was the first time that Mnangagwa came under direct attack publicly for leading a faction calling itself "Team Lacoste" that is angling to take over power from Mugabe when he eventually leaves office. Another faction made up of young Turks calling itself Generation 40 is reportedly backing First Lady Grace Mugabe to torpedo Mnangagwa’s presidential ambition.
First to fire the salvo on Mnangagwa in front of thousands of party supporters who gathered at Chipadze Stadium for the 8th Presidential Youth Interface rally was the First Lady, who challenged the deputy president to rein in his supporters whom she accused of insulting the presidency in their quest to succeed her husband.
"I know that Mnangagwa is the leader of Team Lacoste; why are you remaining quiet when your people are insulting the presidency? Some youths are being expelled from the party for indiscipline and you are being seen together at your house drinking tea and beer with them and that is not right. We get angry when we see such things," said Grace.
"If you genuinely support the president you are not supposed to interact with people who were expelled from the party. We also see you (Mnangagwa) on pictures inscribed “I am the boss” with people who were expelled from the party and this should stop," she added.
Mnangagwa torched a storm recently when he appeared in pictures on social media holding a coffee mug inscribed "I am the boss." He was in the company of controversial businessman Energy Mutodi who was recently expelled from Zanu-PF party for causing alarm and despondency when he insinuated that Mnangagwa was poisoned at a recent rally held in Gwanda.
"I researched and did not find any faction called G40 but Team Lacoste is there big time."
Mnangagwa, who was present at the rally, did not say anything as he was not lined up to speak. Both the First Lady and Mnangagwa have publicly claimed that they were not harbouring any presidential ambitions.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe claimed that Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo was part of a group of people who met in Tsholotsho in the early 2000s plotting that Mnangagwa takes over from him ahead of former vice president Joice Mujuru who now leads the opposition National People’s Party.
Although the First Lady claimed that there was nothing called Generation 40, her husband appeared to confirm it.
"Let me tell you how Kasukuwere and others started Generation 40. They were calling themselves Obamas because the former US President was a young leader and they believed that the young generation of people who are around 40 years age group should become the next generation of leaders so they called themselves Generation 40," said Mugabe. MOGADISHU - Somali government forces have regained control of a town on the border with Kenya after al Shabaab militants stormed an army base there yesterday, causing heavy clashes in which at least 17 people died, the military said.
Islamist insurgents attacked the base at Balad Hawo early in the morning with a car suicide bombing before entering the compound, both sides said.
“We were awoken by a suicide car bomb this morning and then fierce battle followed,” Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters from the town.
“We chased al Shabaab out of the town,” he said.
Al Shabaab spokesman Abdiasis Abu Musab said the group’s fighters left the town after releasing 35 prisoners from the local jail. At least 30 soldiers were killed, he said.
According to the military official, at least 10 soldiers and seven al Shabaab militants were killed, though the death toll on both sides could still rise.
Formed in 2006, Al Shabaab wants to topple the Western-backed government and impose its strict interpretation of Islam. Somalia has been at war since 1991 when clanbased warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre and then turned on each other.
Al Shabaab carry out frequent attacks on security and government targets, but also on civilians. They also target African Union peacekeeping troops.
Residents confirmed fighting had ended and that the militants had left the town.
“Now Balad Hawo is calm and government forces fully control it,” Ahmed Hassan, a resident of the town told Reuters.
Hassan said he saw 13 bodies collected from the military base.