Mogadishu  - Thousands of angry Somali protesters  took to the streets of Mogadishu Monday to protest food price hikes a and accused traders, who have refused to accept old currency notes, of exacerbating the situation.

"We are on the verge of death because I earn only 20,000 Somali Shillings (0.73 cents) per day", Fadumo Dahir, a demonstrator told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"We are fed up with battles and hungry and our money is insufficient to manage my family daily expenses," she added.

Most of the traders have refused to take old currency and will accept only new bills. The chairman of the main Somalia Bakara market, Ali Mohamed Siyad, said Bakara traders will not tolerate the refusal of the old money.

Somalia has been plunged into anarchy since the ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and has been without an effective central authority, leading to constant inter-clan war which has left thousands dead and displaced many more. (dpa)