Somalia is under attack

Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, executive chief of the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia (SICS), holds a press conference inside Villa Baidoa. Somalia's powerful Islamic movement has vowed a fight to the death against Ethiopian troops who have moved into the town of Baidoa to protect the country's weak government.

Hundreds of Ethiopian troops in armoured vehicles have entered the central Somali town of Baidoa, home of the country's transitional government. Residents said Ethiopian troops arrived on Thursday afternoon and set up a camp near the president's home there.

A pro-western puppet "government" spokesman denied that any Ethiopian soliders were in the town and maintained the claims were part of an Islamic force plot to launch an attack.

A top Islamic leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed responded to the reports saying; "We will declare Jihad if the Ethiopian government refuses to withdraw their troops from Somalia."

Berhan Hailu, the Ethiopian minister of information, told Reuters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday: "We will use all means at our disposal to crush the Islamist group if they attempt to attack Baidoa, the seat of the transitional federal government."

Islamic force moved to a town near Baidoa on Wednesday, causing fears of further conflict.

The Islamic force denied the charge withdrew from Buurhakana, about 40km east of Baidoa, which they said they had entered to collect defecting puppet pro-western"government" soldiers.

Somali puppet formal "president" Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is allied with Ethiopia and has asked for its support.

Hundreds of Ethiopian troops have been spotted along the countries' border in recent weeks prompting criticism from the Islamists.

Relations between the puppet "government" and Islamic force have been tense since the Islamic courts took control of Mogadishu last month, challenging the authority of the largely powerless government.

The two sides agreed a truce and mutual recognition deal in Sudan on June 22 - the so call "government" says the Islamic force have broken the deal.

They were due to hold further Arab League-sponsored talks in Khartoum last weekend, but the puppet "government" boycotted them. On Monday, officials changed their minds and the talks were rescheduled for this Saturday.

Somalia has been without effective central government since clan-based regional commanders overthrew the president, Mohamed Siad Barre, in 1991 and then turned on each other.

Somalia's Islamic movement has demanded the immediate withdrawal of Ethiopian troops that have moved into Baidoa, the seat of the weak government.

As residents of the town reported the arrival of more Ethiopian military vehicles, the Islamic representatives said on Friday that they could not accept their presence on Somali soil.

Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, chair of the executive committee of the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia, said: "Somalia is under attack and Somalis must defend their country.

"Anybody who sides with Ethiopia will be considered a traitor ... The Islamic courts will lead the people to victory."

He was speaking from Mogadishu, the Somali capital, which the Islamists seized from a US-backed alliance of militia commanders last month.

"We are urging Ethiopia to immediately and without delay withdraw its troops and stop interfering in Somali affairs," Ahmed said.

"We are urging Ethiopia to just be a good neighbour."

In Baidoa, about 250km northwest of the capital, residents said nine more large Ethiopian military vehicles carrying supplies, but no troops, moved into the town early on Friday.

These followed a convoy of more than 100 trucks with several hundred Ethiopian soldiers that rolled into Baidoa and surrounding areas on Thursday, after Islamic militia advanced on a nearby town.

The Islamic force pulled back on Thursday, but the Somali formal "prime minister", Ali Mohamed Gedi, has accused them of plotting to attack his pro-western puppet "government" in violation of a truce and mutual recognition deal.

The transitional "government" and Ethiopia continued to deny the presence of any Ethiopian troops in Somalia.

A Somali puppet "government" spokesman said: "As a friendly neighbouring country, they will assist the government to form its own forces."