Ethiopian-backed government troops march into Mogadishu

Triumphant Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies marched into Mogadishu yesterday after Islamist rivals abandoned the war-scarred city they held for six months.

The flight of the Islamists was a dramatic turn-around in the volatile Horn of Africa nation after they took Mogadishu in June and spread across the south imposing sharia rule.

Terrified of yet more violence in a city that has become a byword for chaos, some Mogadishu residents greeted the arriving government troops, while others hid.

Parts of Mogadishu shook with the sound of gunfire and there were outbreaks of looting after leaders of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) fled its base early in the morning. Some fighters ditched their uniforms to avoid reprisals.

"We have been defeated. I have removed my uniform. Most of my comrades have also changed into civilian clothes," one former SICC fighter told Reuters. "Most of our leaders have fled."

The fall of Mogadishu came about 10 days after the Islamists sought to march on the government base of Baidoa. That prompted Ethiopia to come openly into the war, proving the decisive factor in saving the government and pushing back the Islamists.

The SICC had brought a semblance of stability to Mogadishu after chasing US-backed warlords from the city in June. Residents said order had collapsed with their departure.

"Mogadishu is now in chaos," Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told Al Jazeera television.

Islamist defence lines were routed by a joint force of Ethiopian armour and government fighters. But SICC leader Ahmed said his side's hasty withdrawal was a tactical move and analysts say the Islamists could still wage a guerilla war.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi vowed to pursue the Islamist leaders. "We will not let Mogadishu burn," he added.

While the African Union (AU) has called for him to withdraw his forces "without delay", Mr Meles is believed to have the tacit support of Washington in his push against the Islamists.

More than a week of mortar and rocket duels between the Islamists and the Ethiopian-backed government spiralled into open war 10 days ago.

The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday thousands of people had fled and were in a "desperate situation". Yesterday it said at least 17 people died and about 140 were missing after boats in which they were fleeing capsized off Yemen.