MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 10 (UPI) -- Three of Somalia's four major warlords announced plans Tuesday to form a united security force in the embattled capital of Mogadishu.
With the national government in exile in neighboring Kenya since the 1991 ouster of Siad Barre, the capital city has been divided into gang turfs, with guerrillas manning checkpoints and demanding payment from commercial vehicles, the BBC said.
But now, three of the warlords say they want to end their hostilities, merge forces, retrain the men in security and show the capital is safe enough for the government to set up there. There was no indication if the fourth main warlord intended to participate.
However, the gunmen are likely to remain loyal to the warlords, rather than President Abdullahi Yusuf, who has little support in Mogadishu, the report said.
Last week, a blast killed at least 14 people at the city stadium as Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi made a speech during his first visit to the city since being appointed. Ghedi later said the blast was an accident and denied he had been targeted.
