Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
Aweys Osman Yusuf
9 November 2006
Large number of Somalia's government forces escorted by battlewagons has broken away from the interim fragile government based in Bai provincial town of Baidoa, 245 km from the capital Mogadishu.
Thirty government troops with five battlewagons mounted with anti-aircraft guns defected to Dinsoor district within Bai province to bond with the Union of Islamic Courts that has large numbers of fighters in Bu Hakaba, 60 km south of Baidoa, southern Somalia.
A pro-Islamist, Sheik Mohammed, in Dinsoor has told Shabelle that he was leading the defected government troops to Islamic Courts base in southern Somalia.
More than 500 government forces had defected since the government was moved to Baidoa early this year.
The federal government could not, howver, be available for comments about the issue.
Somalia has had no government since 1991
Mohammed has also said one of the troops was wounded during the escape.
The news came as the parliament speaker is in the capital trying to revive the collapsed peace talks in Khartoum after both Somalia's vying groups could not compromise on conditions they presented before the talks opened.
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