Government
and Ethiopian forces have captured what they
say was a jungle base used by Islamic
courts fighters in southern Somalia.
A government
military commander said on Monday that Ras
Kamboni was taken after a two-day campaign
using ground forces and air support.
Mohammed
Adow, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Somalia,
said: "Taking over Ras Kamboni denies
Islamist fighters a base from which to launch
their guerrilla attacks. It leaves them
sandwiched between the US forces patrolling
the coast and Kenyan forces stationed at the
border."
Abdirashid
Hidig, an official with the Somali government,
said that troops had "captured Ras
Kamboni".
Earlier
on Monday, Abdullahi Yusuf, the Somlai
president, travelled to Mogadishu, the Somali
capital, for the first time since taking
office in 2004.
But
four people were killed in Mogadishu over the
weekend as violence continued in protest over
government plans to forcibly disarm the
population and in objection to the presence of
Ethiopian troops on Somali soil.
Adow
said: "There are many government soldiers
on the streets [of Mogadishu], but underneath
it looks as though no one is in charge."
'Policy
of reconciliation'
The
government has said it is ready to accept
"moderates" from the Union of
Islamic Courts (UIC) on condition that they
renounce violence and agree to support the
national administration.
"Our
policy is of reconciliation. Our doors are
open and we shall welcome all Somali parties
into the national administration," said
Abdirahman Dinari, a government spokesman.
"There
are many government soldiers on the
streets, but underneath it looks as
though no one is in charge"
Mohammed
Adow,
Al Jazeera correspondent
Over
the weekend, Jendayi Frazer, a US diplomat to
Africa, met Ali Mohamed Gedi, the Somali prime
minister, and Sherif Hassan Sheikh Aden, the
Somali parliament speaker, asking them to open
talks with moderates.
Frazer
said Washington had already opened dialogue
with Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, one of the
UIC leaders.
Dinari
said: "The Islamists are welcome as long
they put down their arms, stop violence and
indicate their willingness to join us in
rebuilding our country."
In
Brussels, 27 EU countries last week said
"non-extremist" elements must be
invited into the Somali leadership as "a
condition for the continuation of our
aid".
Somali
government and Ethiopian forces captured
Kismayo, the UIC's last stronghold, last week
and forced Islamic courts fighters
into the land along the border with Kenya.
The
Islamic courts fighters said they would
wage a guerrilla war to destabilise the
government which has appealed for regional
peacekeeping forces to be deployed.
