Somali warlord says 'no' to UN

MOGADISHU (Reuter) - Somalia's fiercest warlord returned from five months of bush battles yesterday, and ruled out the deployment of 3,000 UN troops to stop gunmen looting food. 'Without our consent, they cannot come and we will not agree,' Mohamed Farah Aideed said.

The 500 Pakistani troops taking up positions this week, and a local police force of 6,000 men, could handle security, he said. Last month the UN Security Council called for the extra 3,000 troops after relief workers said conditions were too insecure for them to deliver aid.