Somali Islamists say they will attack Kenya if it goes ahead with plans to train 10,000 government troops. "We will order all our holy warriors to start the jihadi war inside Kenya," said spokesman Sheikh Muktar Robow.| Who remains alive because ... |
The warning comes as insurgents have again battled government troops and peacekeepers in the capital, Mogadishu. At least five people have been killed, residents and doctors say.
A witness told the BBC there were clashes near an African Union peacekeeping base at the strategic K-4 junction and that mortars were used. The Islamists have increasingly targeted the AU peacekeeping force in recent months, as well as the government and their Ethiopian allies.
The K-4 junction is strategically placed in the south of the city linking the airport and the presidential palace, and some AU peacekeepers are based there. The witness said he could see houses on fire, and heavy gunfire could be heard in the background.
On Thursday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopia would review its position in the coming months, but would stay longer if Somali politicians showed "readiness for peace".
Even if Ethiopian troops left, he said, they could still return if the powerful Islamist militia al-Shabab threatened to take power. "Whenever there's a threat posed, we will come back to break their backs," he said. "Any government is preferable to the Shabab. It's in the interest of Ethiopia and the Somali people to prevent them from coming to power."
Mr Meles said Ethiopian troops would remain in Somalia "at least until the African peace force is fully deployed."