Ceasefire in Baidoa holding

After days of heavy fighting, a ceasefire was announced in the southern town of Baidoa at the weekend and appears to be holding with no violations reported, local sources told IRIN on Monday.

The ceasefire was reportedly arranged by a mediation committee led by a prominent businessman, Ali Margus, and former minister, Ambassador Sharif Salah, who is an influential Rahanweyn personality.

The fighting between rival factions of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) started last week, pitting forces loyal to the RRA chairman, Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, against those loyal to his two deputies, Shaykh Aden Madobe and Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade.

Both sides seemed to be observing the ceasefire, with no reports of fighting since Saturday, one source said. "Baidoa is enjoying its third day of tranquillity," he added.

He said the two sides had withdrawn to their original positions, and "are no longer directly facing each other". Shops and other businesses, which had been closed on Friday were reported to be operating normally on Monday.

Other sources in Baidoa told IRIN the ceasefire was holding, "not due to any respect for the ceasefire agreement", but because both sides were tired.

"Fatigue and lack of resources on both sides are more of a factor than any other reason. They have basically run out of ammunition and are not receiving any new consignments from any quarter," the sources said.

Mediation efforts are still in progress, but the mediators have not yet succeeded in persuading the two sides to talk face to face, the sources added.

The French news agency AFP quoted both sides as accusing each other of starting the fighting. Shatigadud said more than 40 people had been killed and 80 others wounded in the hostilities, which first broke out on 1 July.