Senior UN envoy warns of Somalia warlord risk

The top UN envoy to Somalia has warned that warlords are likely to fill the vacuum created by the departure of al-Shabaab Islamist fighters from the capital unless the government takes action to promote law and order.

Augustine Mahiga told the UN Security Council in a videoconference briefing from Mogadishu that al-Shabaab's recent and unexpected withdrawal from the city presents the first opportunity in years for the transitional government to exercise authority over the capital.

If this is managed effectively, he said, it will "expedite political gains" and the delivery of humanitarian aid to thousands of Somalis fleeing famine and arriving in Mogadishu.

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other, plunging the country into chaos. A transitional government, established in 2004 and currently backed by about 9,000 African Union troops, has been fighting against al-Shabaab insurgents.

Al-Shabaab controlled around a third of Mogadishu until Saturday morning when its fighters suddenly withdrew from all their bases in the capital. They still hold most of southern Somalia, where tens of thousands are estimated to have starved and tens of thousands more are trying to reach the capital in hopes of finding food.

"Although al-Shabaab has described the retreat as only a tactical manoeuvre, the truth remains that al-Shabaab has been compelled to retreat from Mogadishu," Mahiga said, crediting African Union and Somali government forces for pushing back the insurgents.

But he warned: "Without immediate action, a real danger exists that the warlords and their militia groups will move forward to fill the vacuum created by al-Shabaab's departure."