Somali Islamists, Government Agree to Joint Army
04 September 2006
Islamists who control Somalia's capital and the country's weak government have agreed to form a unified, national army and police force.
The four-point agreement came Monday in the third day of talks in Sudan's capital Khartoum.
The two sides also agreed to meet again October 30 for talks on power-sharing.
The Arab League has sponsored the talks in hopes of avoiding greater chaos in the mostly lawless Horn of Africa country.
The government has remained virtually powerless outside its base of Baidoa while militias loyal to Islamic courts have seized control over much of southern Somalia.
In Baidoa earlier Monday, a clash between Somali government forces and militiamen left at least five people dead.
Shooting broke out at Baidoa's airport when police moved in to evict militia that had set up checkpoints to extract money from travelers. Witnesses say all of the dead were militiamen.
Kenya said Monday it would host a special summit of Intergovernmental Authority on Development Tuesday to discuss the Somali crisis.
Somalia has not had an effective central government since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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