There've been demonstrations in the Baidoa region of Somalia in support of the new interim President, Abdulkassim Salad Hassan.

The protesters criticised a statement by the leader of the local militia -- Hassan Mohamed Nur of the Rahanwein Resistance Army -- in which he withdrew support from the interim President. Mr Nur made the remarks on arrival in neighbouring Ethiopia -- one reason he gave was that the interim parliament was not moving to Baidoa.

At the same time, twenty-six Rahanwein elders, who took part in the peace conference in Djibouti, said they had not changed their attitude and were prepared to sacrifice everything for the new interim administration.