 Al-Shabab fighters now control most of Somalia. |
Somali government officials agree to handover weapons to al-Shabab fighters after the opposition group captured the city of Baidoa.
Al-Shabab fighters captured Baidoa, the parliament seat and the last stronghold of the fragile transitional government on Monday after heavy fighting.
Witnesses say the fighters have seized parliament building and the presidential palace.
The opposition fighters then released all lawmakers and ministers after they agreed to hand over government weapons, Press TV's correspondent in Somalia reports.
The officials will fly to neighboring Djibouti to join other lawmakers, who are due to elect a new president.
The officials will fly to neighboring Djibouti to join other lawmakers, who are due to elect a new president.
An al-Shabab spokesman has called on Baidoa residents to inform members of the group of the whereabouts of any armed Somali soldiers currently in hiding.
"We take their guns and if they need, we will give them money. We do not want to kill our Somali soldiers, they are our sons and we do not want to hurt them," said Sheikh Mukhtar Rowbow Ali Abu Mansur.
The fall of Baidoa came shortly after the last Ethiopian troops pulled out of the country after two years of battling insurgents. Al-Shabaab, an offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), now controls most parts of the country after taking control of major Somali towns and cities including the capital of Mogadishu.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since the downfall of dictator Said Barre in 1991.
"We take their guns and if they need, we will give them money. We do not want to kill our Somali soldiers, they are our sons and we do not want to hurt them," said Sheikh Mukhtar Rowbow Ali Abu Mansur.
The fall of Baidoa came shortly after the last Ethiopian troops pulled out of the country after two years of battling insurgents. Al-Shabaab, an offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), now controls most parts of the country after taking control of major Somali towns and cities including the capital of Mogadishu.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since the downfall of dictator Said Barre in 1991.
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