World Notes

The government has lost all control in Mogadishu, and chaos has taken over. Armed mobs, some of them renegade soldiers from President Mohammed Siad Barre's army, roam the city shooting and looting. Troops shouting "Allah Akbar!" (God is great!) invaded the Roman Catholic cathedral, drove the congregation out with tear gas and truncheons, then set fire to the building. An Italian priest who witnessed the attack said many worshipers were killed.

As rebel fighters from the United Somali Congress called in reinforcements, the U.S., Italy and France flew 800 diplomats and other foreign residents to safety in separate rescue missions last week. Soldiers looted the American embassy as soon as the last helicopter took off. Reported Italian Ambassador Mario Sica, who left Saturday: "The city is being sacked as in the days of Genghis Khan."

Holed up with the remnants of his army, Siad Barre offered again last week to negotiate with the three main insurgent groups that have overturned his 21- year dictatorship. A rebel spokesman in Rome said they "would not be that stupid."