A Ugandan soldier serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) stands guard along the road mid-distance between the towns of Balcad and Jawahar in Middle Shabelle region 10 December 2010, north of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Somali National Army (SNA) forces supported by AMISOM captured the town of Jawahar, 90km north of Mogadishu, on 9 December from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab encountering little resistance as they entered the strategic and economically important capital of Middle Shabelle region. Jawahar was one of the last remaining urban areas under the Shabaab's control who have lost large swathes of territory and major towns across Somalia over the last 18 months following sustained security operations against them by combined SNA and AMISOM forces. AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE.