By David Ochami

The most conspicuous landmark in Burhache is the isolated single white star on blue flag of the Somalia Republic and the huge trenches in the town centre.

The battered town, or city as locals call it, is the temporary capital of Gedo Province of Somalia, which lies in the northern area of Kenya’s Operation Linda Nchi activities inside Somalia.

The official capital is Garbaharey, where the last Somalia despot Muhamed Siaad Barre is buried, but remains largely in Al Shabaab’s hands.

In the last five years, Burhache, a hamlet full of dust, has exchanged hands several times between the extremist Al Shabaab militia and Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government.

Evidence of its suffering is sordid and splendid but the confidence of its marginalised people, most of who returned from inland or exile in Kenya in the last six months, is amazing.

Bloody comeback

Goats and camels loiter the dusty streets, including the main highway to Kismayu as veiled women and girls cower away from public view, perhaps too sceptical of the current "peace" and fearful that Al Shabaab, which ruled here until March and has been trying to return, might stage a bloody comeback and re-impose its version of Islamic law.

A soldier in his 40s claims until March 4, Al Shabaab’s religious courts held many open courts in the local square where the biggest defensive trenches now lie, and meted out instant sentences including flogging and amputations.

"I am taking care of an amputee," claims a "nurse" in the ill equipped hospital but although there is evidence of a missing foot, it is unclear whether the limb was lost in a mine blast or amputation since most men here claim to have fought in some war.

According to this nurse, many people in Burhache were victimised by Al Shabaab’s religious police on suspicion of spying for TFG and its Ethiopian and Kenyan allies.

Many residents allege "several people" were summarily executed on mere suspicion of espionage after speedy trials in the open. The confident people include the local DC and Samatar Korane, 17, who is too eager to join the TFG army "to avoid being forced into Al Shabaab."

The last major battles here, according to Abbas Ibrahim Gure — the Brigade Commander for the TFG in this area — were on March 4 when TFG captured it from Al Shabaab and September 11 when the Islamists tried to recapture it from the Government forces.

Most buildings left in ruins in the indiscriminate shelling that involved mortar rounds and volleys of rocket propelled grenades.

Deceptive calm

As boys run around the streets, admiring soldiers’ belts and their new uniforms, a middle aged man warns that "Somalia can be deceptively calm" referring to the current stability in Burhache and palpability of invasion.

Some young men cower around shells of trucks, playfully displaying spent war implements believing many Al Shabaab fighters still lurk in the shadows, having melted into the civilian population.

Local officials warn that Al Shabaab could strike anytime using asymmetrical means.

Meanwhile, the fledgling civilian administration says Burhache, whose shops stock many Kenyan goods from genuine commodities to fake juice and stale bottled water, has seen a surge of its population to 25,000 families now from 5,000 families when the Al Shabaab held it.

The older generation here is less optimistic having witnessed the back and forth in these parts. "We have been victims of conflict for many years," a 47-year-old man, who identifies himself only as Shire, says in halting English adding: "Many forces have come here and gone. We have been victims of many occupations. We shall wait and see following the operation of the TFG and the Kenya Defence Forces."

The battle for Burhache on September 11, according to Abbas, was particularly bloody going by the evidence of burnt out hulks of government vehicles and the defensive trenches in the city centre. The loss of Burhache was a major set back beyond territory lost, according to TFG experts here who point out that the militants can no longer extort taxes from local traders.

"Al-Shabaab will never come back," Burhache DC Ibrahim Guled defiantly proclaims, swinging unconvincingly in his plastic chair in the town, surrounded by dozens of TFG soldiers in olive green fatigues.

Kenya’s forces lurk on the town’s outskirts and apparently providing the rationale for TFG’s growing strength in these parts. It is believed Kenya’s military provides salaries, food, uniform and small arms supplied to the TFG and its civilian administration here.

All over the town are soldiers or armed men of all ages, including men in their 50s claiming to have served in Barre’s army and others, obviously too young to be in a regular army.

But sitting behind an empty table, with neither stationery nor a telephone, Ibrahim, the only official in civilian clothing, claims security has rapidly increased following the Kenyan intervention.

State collapse

Yet the most sordid evidence of state collapse in this town and much of Gedo besides the blown out buildings and sparse population is the fact that the Kenyan currency is the medium of exchange here.

And for lack of other means or mix up of priorities, the local TFG officials have converted an ambulance into a military vehicle.

"We decided to begin using the Kenyan currency because the old Somali currency was prone to duplication. The value of the Somalia currency was unstable also," a resident says. Most people, especially recent returnees are in dire need of basic amenities, including hospitals, which Ibrahim says, the international community can supply because "there is adequate peace and security. We do not think Al Shabaab will ever come back".

Abbas exudes confidence that "the sun has set on Al Shabaab" and adds that "we now have more weapons than them" and points to the last major victory on September 11 invasion.

Independent accounts indicate about 3,000 Al Shabaab militants attacked from three directions on mounted trucks.

TFG lost between 30 to 60 officers in an overnight battle including several, believed to have died at Kenya’s El Wak hospital.

TFG military officials in Burhache allege Al Shabaab has 170 of its own dead including 47 commanders.