Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers hold defensive positions 26 May 2012 in the town of Afgoye, west of the Somali capital Mogadishu. An joint-African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and SNA offensive has driven the Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab from the strategically important area of the Afgoye corridor, which the group used as a base to launch attacks inside Mogadishu and is also home to hundreds of thousands of refugees. With the extremists gone, the area is now secure for humantarian aid to reach the internally displaced peoples camps and opens the road between the agriculturally productive area of Afgoye and the Somali capital, allowing freedom of movement of goods, produce and people alike. AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE.