Somali govt troops to besiege Mogadishu

Dec 27, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian-backed government troops will lay siege to Somalia’s capital Mogadishu until rival Islamist forces surrender, Somalia’s envoy to Ethiopia said on Wednesday.

A joint force of Ethiopian soldiers and pro-government fighters had taken control of Balad, a town 30 km (18 miles) north of the capital, Ambassador Abdikarin Farah said.

“We are not going to fight for Mogadishu to avoid civilian casualties…Our troops will surround Mogadishu until they surrender,” he told reporters in Addis Ababa.

The government had offered amnesty to any Somalia Islamic Courts Council fighters who laid down their arms, he said.

A week of artillery and mortar duels between the two sides has spiralled into open war that both say has killed hundreds.

(Reuters)