Excerpt from report by Somali pro-Puntland website AllPuntland.com on 26 December
Reports coming from Baydhabo [Baidoa, south-central Somalia] the seat of the Transitional Federal Government [TFG] say the TFG is urging the Union of Islamic Courts [UIC] officials to surrender.
The TFG says if the UIC officials surrender they will be offered amnesty and will not be harmed.
The government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said the government forces was advanced on Diinsoor, Buur Hakaba and Bula Berde in Bay and Hiiran regions.
Dinari said the government had no intention of attacking the Somali capital and was instead offering amnesty to the UIC officials.
Excerpt from report by Ethiopian TV on 26 December
[Presenter] The Somali ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr Abdulkarim Farah, has called on the international community to give all the required attention to Somalia so that peace, law and order can prevail in the country. The ambassador today gave a briefing on the current situation in Somalia. Tibeteh Tesfaye [first name phonetic] has the details.
[Tesfaye] In his press briefing, Ambassador Farah said that it should be the responsibility of the international community and Somalis to maintain and guard the prevailing peace and security in the areas controlled by the transitional government [of Somalia]. The ambassador said that the transitional government's charter stipulates that the Somali republic can have its national army that obeys and defends the country's constitution. He said in order to achieve the said objective the transitional government requires the support of the international community.
He said the absence of security along the Somali border and coastal areas makes the situation conducive to the international terrorist groups and other opposition groups.
He said the counter-offensive carried out by the transitional government's defence forces together with the Ethiopian defence forces against the terrorist group was continuing. He said in the past five days alone, 17 towns were captured. He lauded the peoples' hospitality to the defence forces.
According to the ambassador, the attacks were carried out from three axes - from Puntland, Central Somalia and from southeastern Baidoa. He said attacking from the three axes was helpful in capturing Mogadishu and pledged to announce victory soon. He said there was no civilian casualty so far.
The ambassador said the Ethiopian government's action - after long patience - was a responsible action to defend the people and sovereignty of the country.
Source: Ethiopian TV, Addis Ababa, in Amharic 1700 gmt 26 Dec 06
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