Somali Govt Signs Deal with Exiled Islamist Leaders

Somalia's transitional government Monday signed a peace agreement with an opposition alliance of exiled Islamist leaders in Djibouti. The UN-brokered accord binds the two sides to a cessation of armed hostilities within 30 days and the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia over the next four months. A UN peacekeeping force will replace the Ethiopian forces, which have been backing the fragile transitional government with much opposition from the Islamists. The effectiveness of the Monday accord is however in doubt owing to the refusal by Al Shabaab - a hardline Islamist group - to participate in the peace talks. [P.E]