Somalia Channel and Indian Ocean to the east, and Ethiopia to the west. It lies between latitudes 2°S and 12°N, and longitudes 41° and 52°E. Strategically located at the mouth of the Bab el Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the country occupies the tip of a region that, due to its resemblance on the map to a rhinoceros' horn, is commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland of Africa, with a seaboard that stretches . Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands. The nation has
2009 timeline of the War in Somalia civilians, were injured in the fighting. Forty fighters from Al-Shabaab, three government soldiers and three Ugandan AMISOM soldiers were killed in north Mogadishu during a battle when Al-Shabaab tried to attack Villa Somalia, the presidential palace of Somalia. The African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), guarding the palace, became involved in the fighting and was unable to take control of rebel strongholds. AMISOM, however, denied assisting Somali government troops, saying, "...AMISOM pre-empted and tried to do what it should to ensure that the safety of troops and the safety of supply routes are guaranteed... We did a show of force,