Somalia's president has returned to the capital city of Mogadishu 10 days after his forces, backed by Ethiopian troops, drove a rival Islamic movement from the city.
The arrival of President Abdulahi Yusuf was highly symbolic. He took office in 2004 but has not set foot in Mogadishu for 40 years and has spent much of his time as Somalia's leader outside the country because he considered the capital too unsafe to set up a government.
Security concerns in Mogadishu remained high, however. Remnants of Islamic forces are believed hiding in the capital, and gunmen attacked Ethiopian troops Sunday in the second day of violence.
Mr Yusuf's visit came as government troops in southern Somalia appeared close to capturing a jungle hideout used by the Islamic militants.
Defence Minister Col. Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire said government troops were poised to enter the Islamic stronghold at Ras Kamboni, on the southernmost tip of Somalia between the sea and the Kenyan border, after a two-day battle.
The Islamic movement's force is cut off from escape by sea by patrolling US warships and across the Kenyan border by the Kenyan military.
US officials said after the September 11th, 2001, attacks that extremists with ties to al-Qaeda operated a training camp at Ras Kamboni and that al-Qaeda members are believed to have visited it.
Ethiopia intervened in Somalia on December 24th to help defeat the Islamic movement that threatened to overthrow the internationally recognised Somali government, which at the time controlled only the western town of Baidoa.
AP