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International

Somalia Sees Lull in Fighting, But Chaos Reigns

Diplomats from the United States, Europe, and Africa met in Cairo today to search for ways to stop the fighting in Somalia. There, Somali government troops and their Ethiopian allies are battling insurgents linked to the Council of Islamic Courts, which was driven from power in February.

Although the past 48 hours have been relatively calm, as many as 400 people are believed to have been killed since fighting began. In the past 10 days, tens of thousands of people have fled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

Monday, insurgents shot an Ethiopian helicopter gunship out of the sky and mortar shells slammed into a hospital. The exact number of casualties is unclear due to the chaos in Mogadishu. Hospitals are overwhelmed and bodies are scattered in the streets.

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Melissa Block talks with freelance reporter Rob Crilly, who has been covering the situation in Somalia; he joins us from Nairobi, Kenya.

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