1.   Sporadic outbursts of fighting have continued since then, and even Moscow is powerless to stop the violence.

2.   With the exception of Mogadishu, most of the country is in a fragile, tentative peace with only sporadic outbursts of clan fighting.

3.   Sporadic outbursts by a few score or few hundred occur daily, prevented from linking up by the omnipresent security forces.

4.   The threat of a NATO air strike stopped the fighting in October and the cease-fire is generally holding, despite sporadic outbursts.

5.   The threat of NATO air strikes stopped the fighting in October and the cease-fire is generally holding, despite sporadic outbursts.

6.   The threat of a NATO airstrike stopped the fighting in October and the cease-fire is generally holding, despite sporadic outbursts.

7.   Hospitals gave no immediate casualty toll from the clashes, as sporadic outbursts of violence continued into the afternoon.