Militia threaten Somali president

Armed Somali militiamen surrounded the planes of the president and prime minister at the end of their first tour of the lawless country.

There were chaotic scenes at Baidoa airport as people ran away from the aircraft as the militia demanded wages for guarding the planes for two days.

A local warlord intervened allowing the delegation to take off for neighbouring Kenya, where the government is based.

The tour was assessing plans to relocate the administration to Somalia.

But during the 10-day visit President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and his team did not visit the ruined and divided capital, Mogadishu.

Somali has been without an effective government since 1991 and has an estimated 60,000 armed militiamen.

Since then, rival warlords, many of whom are now ministers, have battled for control of the country, and Somalia has been divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms.

source : BBC