Stalemate in bloody conflict in Somalia

Somalia's Ethiopian-backed government and its rivals in an Islamic movement fought to a bloody standstill today, and geared up for a major push as fearful villagers fled.

Islamic forces who have declared they want to bring the whole country under Koranic rule vowed to continue attacks to drive out troops from neighbouring Ethiopia, a largely Christian nation that is providing military support.

Late today, Ethiopia said in a statement that its patience was running out and accused the Islamic movement of "massive infiltration" across the border into Ethiopia.

"The situation in Somalia has turned from bad to worse," the statement said. "Ethiopia has been patient so far but there is a limit to this."

Ethiopia denies its forces are fighting, but says it has deployed several hundred military trainers in support of Somalia's UN-backed transitional government.

Government officials said more than 600 Islamic fighters had been killed during four days of clashes. Islamic militia said they had killed around 400 Ethiopians and government fighters. Neither claim could be confirmed independently.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said at least 200 people had been wounded in fighting since Wednesday.

In Kismayo, a strategic seaport captured from the government by Islamic militia in September, several foreign Arab fighters were seen by residents getting off ships.

The UN issued a statement in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, calling for an "immediate end" to the conflict. It accused both sides of using increasing numbers of child soldiers. "This conflict will push the children of Somalia into further dire crisis," the UN said.

The United Nations had expressed concern fighting would prevent aid from reaching hundreds of thousands in dire need of help because of hunger and flooding. The fighting comes after a drought last year and devastating flooding this year.

EU envoy Louis Michel, who travelled to Somalia on Wednesday, was believed to be working behind the scenes to get both sides to sign a ceasefire deal, which they had told him during his visit they were in board agreement with.

Samir Hosni, the Arab League's special envoy to Somalia, told a London-based Arab newspaper that he expected peace talks to resume in January.

The worst of Friday's fighting was over by evening, although sporadic gunfire and shelling could still be heard around the central town of Baidoa, headquarters of the government.

It was unclear how long the guns would remain quiet as earlier four Ethiopian attack helicopters and around 20 tanks headed for battle, witnesses and a government official said.

Sheikh Ibrahim Shukri Abuu-Zeynab, a spokesman for the Islamic movement, told reporters in the capital, Mogadishu, the fighting would worsen.

"We will now start our real attack against the invaders and would not stop until we force the Ethiopians out of our country," he said.

Fighting has occurred in at least three areas near Baidoa: Idale, 37 miles south-west, which the Islamic group claim to have captured: Dinsor, 75 miles south; and Daynunay, a military base 15 miles north-east of Baidoa on the road that leads to Mogadishu.

Families in villages in the fighting areas were abandoning their homes, crops and livestock, fearing worsening fighting. Hundreds of people in areas held by the Islamic forces also were fleeing south to Mogadishu.

"I think we have lost hundreds of our animals in the fighting, most of them were caught in the crossfire," said Malable Aden, who reached Mogadishu by car. "We were supposed to reap our harvest of this season, but unfortunately we were forced to leave them behind for the pigs and birds to destroy them."

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991. The country's secular interim government, set up in 2004 and backed by the UN, has rejected religious rule. Muslim leaders have insisted on an Islamic government.

Somalia's internationally recognised interim government holds only a small area around Baidoa, about 140 miles north-west of the capital, Mogadishu. The Islamic militiamen, meanwhile, control Mogadishu along with most of southern Somalia.