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Madaxa Hay'ada Elman -- Cali Faadhaa
Mogadishu, (RBC Radio)Â The human rights group in Somalia had said on Thursday that the reduction in street battles in the capital, Mogadishu, has led to a significant reduction in the number of civilians killed in Somalia the year 2009.
The Somali group, Elman Peace and Human
 Rights, based in Mogadishu, said that 1739 civilians were killed in the fighting in Somalia this year, down from 7574 in 2008 and 8636 in 2007.
Head of Elman human raights group, Yassin Sheikh Ahmed said the number of fatalities the year 2009 had decreased from the previuos year 2008 because fighting Mogadishu has not seen a serious face to face, but was an exchange of the shelling in the war based on a hit and run.
More civilians had been killed in shooting or excutions made by the rebel groups confronting the government.
Islamist rebels began an insurgency in early 2007 to drive out Ethiopian troops supporting the Western-backed government in Somalia. There were fierce clashes in Mogadishu and other parts of southern and central Somalia, but the Ethiopians left the country at the beginning of this year.
Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, a former rebel leader was elected as president in January 2009. Picked up the hope to be able to reconcile with the rebels, but he did not achieve progress while the government controls only small part of the capital, Mogadishu.
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According to Western intelligence agencies that the country has become a safe haven for militants, including foreign jihadists use in plotting attacks in the region and beyond.
The number of journalists killed in the country had increased unprecedentedly the year 2009 for the sake of the warring sides did not want to comment on their movements.
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However, the focus of the rebels who make their camps in densely populated areas in Mogadishu was to attack government targets and peacekeepers of the African Union with suicide bombings and mortar fire causing the respond from AMIDOM troops and reasulting heavy civilian casualties.
