Somali Warlords 'forced to Flee Refuge'

Islamist fighters who seized control of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, from secular warlords have forced them from the nearby town to which they had fled, witnesses said today.

Brief fighting saw militias linked to the Islamic Courts Union enter Jowhar, 55 miles from Mogadishu, hours after warlord leaders had left the town, according to witnesses cited by AP.

However, a report from Reuters said fighting was still ongoing. "The fighting erupted 10 minutes ago ... we don't know what will happen next," one resident told the agency by telephone.

The developments further bolster the strength of Islamist fighters in their attempt to establish rule over Somalia, which has been without effective government since Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

An interim government, formed with the support of the UN, has failed to assert any real control outside its base in Baidoa, 150 miles from Mogadishu.

The fall of Jowhar would be a fresh blow to US policy towards the country.

Washington is widely believed to have been bankrolling the warlords against the ICU, a powerful movement that advocates a strict version of sharia law and has alleged ties to al-Qaida.

It is understood to have provided financial support to a number of warlords through its counter-terrorism base in Djibouti, but officials have refused to confirm or deny the reports.

Troops backing the ICU had been building up around Jowhar prior to the move to push out the warlord-led Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-terrorism.

According to Somali officials, clan elders in Jowhar had urged the warlords to leave in order to minimise confrontation in the town when the Islamist militia arrived.

Among warlords who fled yesterday were two ex-members of Somalia's transitional government, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah and Botan Isse Allen, the officials said.

Islamist forces took control of Mogadishu early last week, following months of fighting that left more than 300 people - many of them civilians - dead. The capital has been relatively calm since then.

Fighting flared in Mogadishu in February when a group of warlords, including four government ministers, formed the alliance as a bulwark against the growing authority of the ICU.