Truce between Ethiopian forces and Somali resistance groups seems to be holding for a 3rd day as the prisoners from the president's tribal militia have been set free by tribal elders.
Almost 18 soldiers (pictured) belonging to the Puntland region in the north of the country have been set free after being captured in a 2 day deadly battle last week in Mogadishu that has killed almost 200 people.
The Hawiye tribe that dominate Mogadishu signed a truce with the Ethiopian forces last week, after the Ethiopians faced a heavy defeat in many districts of the capital and a plane load of Belarussian air engineers was shot down from the sky.
Many reports indicate that a final negotiations between the Ethiopians and the elders has failed and massive assult on the districts is expected in the next few days.
The president Abdullahi Yusuf angry after the defeat last week, recalled almost 150 battle vehicles including tanks, helicopters and hundreds of troops from the Ethiopian side of the borders to crush the combined tribal militia, the Islamic resistance and some warlords that are resisting his authority
Meanwhile in Kenya businessman Omar Adaani rejected that he made peace agreement with the government, he said he only made a peace agreement between the prime minister and himself only due tribal affiliation and not on a governmental basis.
In Qatar, Islamic courts members including Sheikh Shariif, and the former parliament speaker Shariif Hassan are due to hold a major meeting to address the situation in the country.
KC
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