13/09/08 (B465) Shabelle / Des troupes islamistes prennent position dans la ville de Beledweyne, sana aucune résistance, après le retrait des troupes éthiopiennes, qui l’occupaient. Somali Islamists penetrate town after troop’s withthrow (En Anglais – Info lecteur – En Anglais)

Somalia insurgents have occupied Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia without resistance from army after the Ethiopian troops were in the town have pulled out to the outside of the town on Saturday morning.

Residents say hundreds of masked armed militia to have arrived in the town as soon as the Ethiopian troops went towards Jantakundishe area in the exterior of the town.

The group has refused to recognize a Djibouti ceasefire signed between government and one Islamist leader, saying they would continue with attacks until Ethiopian troops have left the country.

Some of the residents in the town, said that the insurgents have set up a base camp in town’s central police station, while it has taken over administration of town.

Government forces reportedly fled Beledweyne from the town, the headquarter of Hiran region.

Somalia’s transitional administration was formed in 2004 with help of United Nations, but it has failed to assert real control. After Islamic militants seized control of Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia, the government called in troops from Ethiopia in December 2006 to oust them.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew Dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and turned on each other.