Typically, my Nairobi-based colleague Shashank Bengali covers Somalia, along with the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2006, however, he was in the States and I was asked to fill in for a few days during the Islamic Courts Union's takeover of Mogadishu. It was a terrifying, exhilarating time. We drove around in flatbed trucks with mounted machine guns and interviewed doctors, warlords, Islamists, businessmen, athletes, mothers, teachers.

Many of the Islamists turned out to be far more moderate than I expected and the violence decreased dramatically during their first week in power. But the caretaker Somali government (which really had no power outside its headquarters in nearby Baidoa) and the United States basically refused to deal with the Islamic courts, whom they accused of having connections to al Qaida operatives in the Horn of Africa.

Instead, the U.S.-backed Somali factions called in archenemy Ethiopia for support. The moderate Islamists fled, the more militant ones vowed martyrdom, civilians suffered, Ethiopian corpses were dragged through the streets and Mogadishu sank back into anarchy. This is a dramatic oversimplification of the conflict there, but you can read ICG's more in-depth analysis here. In any case, things are not getting any better, according to a flurry of chilling emails I have received from a friend there named Hiddig.

Hiddig was a kind soul who eagerly set me up with a civics teacher, a human rights activist, a university professor and other sources during my short stint in Somalia. I paid him, of course, but he truly went above and beyond what was required and it was plain that he desperately wanted the world to pay attention a place where lawlessness has flourished for the past 16 years.

English is his second language, so these excerpts from his most recent emails might sound a little garbled in places. But I think Hiddig's words speak to the tragedy of Somalia and its abandonment by the international community. He is trying to gather enough money to get his family to safety in Uganda or Kenya, so if anyone knows any aid groups or Somali assistance programs operating in Mogadishu, please write to me as soon as possible.

Here are excerpts from Hiddig's emails:

...The historian teacher whom you interviewed in Mogadishu fled to Kenya after his father was killed by insurgents in Bada'o late December. his father was working for the government as one of the    supreme court. he was more than 70 yrs old. the insurgents are targeting any one who works for the government. he and his family are now in Nairobi. he is afraid to be killed. so you can make a good news i fyou need the Historian teacher . he told me that he will go to UNHCR in Nairobi for asylum seakers he and his family. may be you can prepare a story and puplish it . it may also help the family but first ask if  he needs the interview. do i look for  his number?...


...this morning we ran our village because an armed car was detonated by the insurgents with a remote control killing one soldiers and wounded others then the soldiers killed 4 innocent people. so it is getting worse and worse...

...the latest:the wounded of yesterday fighting reach 96 all of them are civilians according to the vice director of madina Hospital, Dahir Dhere...

even i was also threatened by some soldiers who work for the government saying give us moey  because you work for foreign jornalists so some nights I do not sleep in my house for security purpose...

...i am still in Mogadishu more than 50 journalists fled the city for security purpose and some of them are still in the  jails of Govrnment and some were killed. i am also trying to leave the countryif i get enough budget to flee with my family ...today is the second day of heavy fighting btw The Ethio with the tfj and the insurgents this fighting is bigger than yesterday's more than 10 people were killed  by heavy shelling .also and more than 15 were taken to Madiana Hospital .the fight spread 3 districts. the Ethiopians from the stadio mogadishu moved towards Bakara market esp 30 road and some of them came from former defence minister for reinforcement. the insurgents are also using Morters ,RPG and small arms. this came just after when the tfg and the Ethio were attacked yesterday evening.some Ethiop casualties were reported by fleeing people but not clear.he fighting is still going on. it hsa also  agreat infuluece in the bakara market.3 of the people died in Bakara Market. i am now hearing anti aircraft gun...