VOA标准英语2009年-AU Peacekeepers Accused of Firing on Civilians

Local officials in Somalia have accused African Union peacekeepers of firing on civilians¹ in the capital, Mogadishu, killing² as many as 39 people after a roadside explosion. A spokesman for the AU force has denied that the troops shot at civilians.
　
Ugandan peacekeepers on patrol in Mogadishu (File)

The deputy mayor of Mogadishu, Abdifatah Shaweye, says Ugandan peacekeepers opened fire on public buses, after a roadside bomb exploded near their convoy³. He describes the event as a massacre⁴, saying AU troops killed 39 civilians.

There have also been reports that AU troops confiscated⁵ the video camera of a journalist who was filming at the scene.

A spokesman for the AU mission, Bahoku Barigye, confirms a roadside bomb had exploded near an AU convoy. But, speaking to VOA from Mogadishu, he criticized the deputy mayor's comments as irresponsible.

"I am positively⁶ not at liberty to discuss some of the details we have about what transpired," he said. "For someone to stand up and say that AMISOM has murdered innocent civilians, it's unfortunate. I think the people of Somalia are not stupid, I know they are intelligent enough to look at these bodies and tell whether the death that was occasioned was from a roadside bomb or from bullets."

The nearly 3,000 Ugandan and Burundian AU peacekeepers have become an increasing target of Islamist insurgents⁷ in Mogadishu, particularly since Ethiopian troops withdrew from the country, last month. The AU has approved another 5,000 troops, but Nigeria and other countries have yet to follow through on their pledged contributions. Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon raised the possibility of incorporating the AU troops into a larger U.N. peacekeeping force.

Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia last month, after spending two years battling Islamist insurgents. However, Ethiopia has retained large forces along the border. The Reuters news agency has reported claims that Ethiopian troops have crossed back into Somalia, in recent days, setting up a checkpoint near Baladwayne, which is controlled by the radical⁸ Islamist Al-Shabaab militia⁹. Ethiopia denies this.
　
Somalia's newly elected president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed arrives at the UN compound in Addis Ababa for consultations¹⁰, 01 Feb 2009

On Saturday, moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Shaif Sheikh Ahmed was sworn in as Somalia's new president. He was chosen by members of Somalia's parliament as part of an U.N.-backed agreement with the country's transitional government. The choice of Sheikh Sharif, who heads the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, has been greeted with measured optimism. On Monday Ban Ki-moon praised his selection.

But the Shabaab, which was formerly¹¹ allied¹² with Sheikh Sharif in the Islamic Courts Union that briefly¹³ took control of Mogadishu in 2006, has vowed¹⁴ to continue its insurgency¹⁵. Somalia's Radio Garowe reports that a spokesman for the group has accused Sheikh Sharif of siding with the United States over Islam. The group has organized demonstrations¹⁶ against Sheikh Sharif in the towns under its control, including Baidoa, site of Somalia's parliament. Sheikh Sharif's selection has also been rejected by a hard-line faction¹⁷ of the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and based in Asmara.

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

4 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

5 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

6 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

7 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

8 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

9 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

10 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

12 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

13 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

14 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

15 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

16 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

17 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。