U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday condemned weekend violence in the Somali capital of Mogadishu that reportedly killed dozens of civilians. A human rights group in Mogadishu reported that at least 81 civilians were killed and that over 100 were when Somali transitional government forces and Ethiopian troops battled opposition militias. “He urges parties to the conflict in Mogadishu to refrain from the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force that endangers the lives of civilians, particularly in heavily populated civilian areas, and reminds them that any targeting of non-combatants is a violation of international humanitarian law, " the secretary-general's office said. U.N. envoy to Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah also condemned the violence and loss of life and said the fighting in Mogadishu has been “the worst in months.” “It is unjustifiable for such violence to erupt, particularly when both the Transitional Federal Government and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia have courageously expressed their willingness to talk about peace and reconciliation, " Ould-Abdallah said.
