Hanging over Baidoa is the fear of renewed clan fighting, which tore this town and the surrounding countryside to shreds earlier this year.

Many Mogadishu residents, weary of two years of clan fighting, were glad to see the gunmen go.

Tens of thousands of people have died in Baidoa this year when a famine caused by clan fighting and drought forced many villagers off their land.

With the exception of Mogadishu, most of the country is in a fragile, tentative peace with only sporadic outbursts of clan fighting.

Instead, they asked the translator to follow the boy's family home, to see whether they might have been involved in clan fighting.

Other military officials described similar indications of clan fighting.

Early in December, 13 aid workers were evacuated from Kismayu after clan fighting made it unsafe to stay.

The long-running famine in Somalia, resulting not only from drought but also from the chaos caused by devastating clan fighting, drew wide attention this summer.

It served as an appeal for court arbitration between clan fighting.

Undeterred by clan fighting, Somalis are importing and exporting everything, including food, computers, cars, plastic goods and toys.