United Islamic Council imposing sharia law on Somalia
For the last 15 years, civil war has wracked Somalia and voilence has divided the nation into a patchwork of rival fiefdoms. So it is no surprise that after 15 years of division, many Somalis were rejoicing in June this year when a loose coalition of Islamic leaders called the Union of Islamic Courts took control of the capital Mogadishu. It was the first time in over a decade the country had experienced a vague sense of unity. In the last four months, other key Somali towns have fallen to the Union of Islamic Courts or UIC as it is known. As it has advanced through Somalia by force, the Union of Islamic Courts has imposed Sharia law. Many see them as a fundamentalist force that could bring Taliban-style rule to Somalia. Bashir Goth, a Somali journalist and author who lives in the north of the country, told The Wire that the UIC have only one purpose.