VOA标准英语2009年- Tension Mounting in Kismayo as Somali Isl

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
28 September 2009

A power struggle between Islamist insurgent¹ groups in Somalia's strategic southern port town of Kismayo is threatening to turn violent and tear the alliance apart. The rift² between al-Shabab and Hisbul Islam Islamist groups has also been growing in other insurgent-controlled regions of Somalia.

 
Somalia government fighters guard  Presidential palace, 18 Jun 2009
Hundreds of people in Kismayo took to the streets Monday, demanding a peaceful end to a political dispute that began last week between two factions⁴ of Hisbul Islam and the local leaders of Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant⁵ group, al-Shabab.

Residents say they fear violence could break out at any time, following threats by al-Shabab to retaliate⁶ against Hisbul Islam's decision to send hundreds of extra fighters and dozens of battle wagons⁷ into the city on Saturday.  The arrival of the fighters forced al-Shabab to withdraw most of its guerrilla force out of Kismayo and re-locate them to another town north of the city.

The two Hisbul Islam factions, Ras Kamboni and Anole, and al-Shabab have been in an uneasy alliance in Kismayo since last August, when they jointly⁸ captured the city from a local factional leader.  In addition to sharing security and administrating duties, the Islamist groups shared tax and other key revenue generated from Kismayo seaport⁹ and airport. 

But on Wednesday, al-Shabab named its own local governing council for Kismayo that excluded members of the Ras Kamboni Brigade and Anole.  Al-Shabab's announcement angered the powerful Islamist leader of the Ras Kamboni group and Hisbul Islam in the Lower Jubba region, Hassan Turki, who denounced the new al-Shabab administration and has refused to recognize it.

Al-Shabab has downplayed the possibility of an outbreak of violence between the groups, noting that they remain important allies in the insurgency¹⁰ to overthrow¹¹ the U.N.-backed transitional federal government in Mogadishu.  

Speaking to local reporters, al-Shabab's spokesman in Kismayo Hassan Yaqub said that the extra Hisbul Islam fighters had been sent to Kismayo not by Hassan Turki, but by a local Hisbul Islam commander named Ahmed "Madobe" Mohamed.

Yaqub says it was the military commander, who sent the fighters to take Kismayo without a clear order from the top.  Yaqub says Mohamed's aim was to create insecurity and to sow discord¹² among the Islamist allies. 

There has been no comment from Hassan Turki or from the chairman of Hisbul Islam, Hassan Dahir Aweys, on the taking of Kismayo by Hisbul Islam forces.

Aweys is also the leader of the hard-line faction³ of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia or ARS.  ARS, the Ras Kamboni Brigade, Anole, and the Islamic Front make up the four factions of Hisbul Islam that emerged as an insurgent group in February 2009.

Although Hisbul Islam and al-Shabab share the goal of toppling the government and forcing the withdrawal¹³ of 5,000 African Union peacekeeping troops from Somalia, they are believed to have sharply differing religious and political agendas.  Recently, those differences have played a role in igniting power struggles in other parts of Somalia.   

Last week in Somalia's Gedo region, local Hisbul Islam officials angered al-Shabab by unilaterally appointing a governor, a security chief, and a treasurer¹⁴ for the region.  Hisbul Islam officials said the move was prompted by the defection of several Hisbul Islam officials in Gedo to al-Shabab. 

1 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

2 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

3 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。

4 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

5 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

6 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

7 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

8 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

9 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。

10 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

11 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

12 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

13 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

14 treasurer   

n.司库，财务主管

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
• The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。