Somalia’s prime minister entered the capital yesterday, — one day after the Islamic Courts Movement’s fighters retreated ahead of his Ethiopian-backed troops — and was welcomed by thousands of the battle-scarred city’s cheering residents.

Officials of Somalia’s Islamic courts held informal talks with an Ethiopian minister in neighbouring Djibouti during which they said that the group would only hold talks with Ethiopia once it withdraws its troops from Somalia, the group’s foreign affairs chief said today.

Hundreds of Ethiopian troops were patrolling the road that leads to Somalia’s government headquarters after a brief but intense battle in the area this week, witnesses said today.

Hundreds of Ethiopian troops moved into a second Somali town yesterday to protect the country’s weak, UN-backed government, as talks aimed at easing tensions fell apart when the government did not turn up and Islamist militia delegates walked out.