Somalia

The regional capital of the southern Middle Juba region, Bu'aale, was captured on Tuesday by the militia of Juba Valley Alliance (JVA), local sources in Kismayo, 500 km south of Mogadishu, told IRIN.

Somalia's capital Mogadishu has seen an upsurge in fighting this week as militia loyal to rebel factions clashed with government loyalists, according to local sources.

The United Nations Security Council has called on Somali factions to lay down their weapons and engage in peaceful dialogue with the Transitional National Government (TNG), the current Council President, Ambassador Wang Yingfan of China, said on 11 July.

The on-going police operation by the Transitional National Government (TNG) provoked fighting on Thursday, after attempts were made to erect a road block near the compound of faction leader Husayn Aydid. Confrontation between the TNG forces and militia loyal to Aydid led to five dead and at least ten wounded, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said. By late afternoon, the police had been forced to withdraw the checkpoint, local sources told IRIN.

Two MPs have accused the Transitional National Government (TNG) of embezzling donor funds, news agencies and local media said on Thursday. Finance Minister Sayyid Ahmad Shaykh Dahir confessed to being part of the scandal when the misappropriation of US $3.5 million was discussed in parliament on Wednesday.

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