The African Union has demanded that all foreign players, including Ethiopia, immediately withdraw their forces from Somalia.

The call followed witness reports that Somali transitional government forces had seized a strategic southern town in the closest battle yet to the Mogadishu stronghold of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC).

Alpha Omar Konare, the African Union (AU) chairman, said in a statement: "We appeal for urgent support for the transitional government and the withdrawal of all troops and foreign elements."

Konare said that an AU mission would visit Somalia soon.

The AU appeal comes after the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to agree on a statement calling for ending the war and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Somalia.

Several council members objected to the Qatari-circulated statement's naming of Ethiopian forces in particular.

Meanwhile, Francois Lonseny Fall, the UN secretary-general's special representative to Somalia, said the fighting had forced the UN to evacuate and halt assistance to two million people.

The UN World Food Programme has suspended air operations in Somalia and pulled out its air-support staff, officials said on Wednesday.

Source: Al Jazeera

Copyright © 2001-2007 Hargeysa Online , All Rights Reserved   

contact@hargeysa.org

boggahargeysa@yahoo.se