Speaking at a press conference from his Mogadishu home, Mohamed Dheere told reporters that he "happily" transferred authority over to the caretaker mayor, who was appointed earlier this week by interim Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf. [Full story]

"I did not commit crimes against the country and the people and I am not involved in the exodus of civilians [from Mogadishu]," Mr. Dheere said, adding: "The civilian exodus was caused by [Somali] federal troops and the foreign forces deployed on the country."

Mohamed Dheere, who is among Somalia's most notorious warlords, called on the Somali transitional federal government to hold elections "free from corruption."

Ethiopian troops invaded southern and central Somalia in December 2006 to help the interim government expel Islamist rulers from Mogadishu.

The Islamists then launched a bloody guerrilla war that rages to date, which has forced upwards of 700,000 to flee their homes, especially in Mogadishu.

On Thursday, at least 17 people were killed and 25 others wounded when the Islamist group al Shabaab attacked Ethiopian and Somali government forces deployed in northern Mogadishu.

Both sides claimed victory afterwards, but witnesses said most of the dead were civilians caught in the crossfire.

Source: Garowe Online