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| Somali rivals agree on joint army | Somali rivals agree on joint army |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Somalia's interim government and a rival Islamist militia that holds much of the south of the country have agreed in principle to form a national army. | Somalia's interim government and a rival Islamist militia that holds much of the south of the country have agreed in principle to form a national army. |
| However, this depends on a political agreement being reached at further talks on 30 October in Sudan. | |
| The rivals also agreed to avoid seeking aid from foreign powers and affirmed an earlier truce, threatened by the Islamists' recent territorial gains. | The rivals also agreed to avoid seeking aid from foreign powers and affirmed an earlier truce, threatened by the Islamists' recent territorial gains. |
| Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991. | Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991. |
| The BBC's Yusuf Hassan at the talks in Khartoum says the agreement came unexpectedly quickly. | |
| He says that both sides need each other, with the government weak and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) wanting international recognition. | |
| href="/1/hi/world/africa/4760775.stm" class="">Q&A: Islamist advance East African countries are meanwhile meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to discuss the Somali government's request for a peacekeeping force - an idea strongly rejected by the UIC. | |
| The interim government has the support of the UN but it controls only a small area of the country around its base in Baidoa, about 250km from the capital, Mogadishu. | |
| The Union of Islamic Courts took control of Mogadishu in June as well as several central and southern parts of the country. | |
| Earlier truce | Earlier truce |
| Under the deal struck on Monday, the parties agreed "to build armed forces like an army and police" incorporating militias loyal to the Islamic courts, the government and others. | Under the deal struck on Monday, the parties agreed "to build armed forces like an army and police" incorporating militias loyal to the Islamic courts, the government and others. |
| Details on the formation of the new force are expected to be fleshed out after the two sides have resolved key political differences. | Details on the formation of the new force are expected to be fleshed out after the two sides have resolved key political differences. |
| The deal struck on Monday also calls for both sides to resist involving Somalia's neighbours in the conflict. | The deal struck on Monday also calls for both sides to resist involving Somalia's neighbours in the conflict. |
| The Islamists have accused the government of bolstering its defences with troops from Ethiopia, while they in turn have been accused of using military backing from Eritrea. | The Islamists have accused the government of bolstering its defences with troops from Ethiopia, while they in turn have been accused of using military backing from Eritrea. |
| Under Monday's deal, both sides will also be required to respect an earlier truce, struck in June. | Under Monday's deal, both sides will also be required to respect an earlier truce, struck in June. |
| The two parties have been accusing each other of violating the June deal. | The two parties have been accusing each other of violating the June deal. |