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Somali Prime Minister Enters Capitol

Somali Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi entered the Somali capitol Mogadishu, Friday, in a symbolic act to display the government`s victory over the country`s Islamic militias. Gedi`s car entered the capitol`s northern areas accompanied by 22 armored military vehicles. Along the convoy`s path a crowed of Somali citizens cheered and called out calls of support for the transition government. Several trucks with sound systems were positioned throughout the city voicing patriotic songs.

The leaders of the Islamic militia, the Council of Islamic Courts, which had been in control of the capitol in the past 6 months, have vowed to continue there struggle to in act Islamic law in the country, as well as, fight Ethiopia, which joined the transitional government`s forces in an attempt to bring peace to the civil war stricken region. Ethiopia`s Prime Minister, held a press conference in Addis Ababa, he told reporters that Somali and Ethiopian forces have managed to eject the Islamic militias from Mogadishu and that they intended to continue fighting the fleeing militants, that have reportedly made their way to southern Somalia.

The local politics in Somalia is based on a complex tribal system. Since the different tribes seldom agree among themselves and have the tendency to fight one another, Somalia hasn`t had a functioning regime since 1991, when tribal worriers successfully dethroned the dictator Mohamed Sayid Barha. Since then the country has been in political turmoil. Two years ago, the United Nations helped create a transition government, but since then it had been unsuccessful in taking control of the country.