Somalia's interim prime minister welcomes special operation by French forces

Somalia has sanctioned French military intervention inside the country aimed at releasing French servicemen recently kidnapped by militants.

On Monday, Somalia's interim prime minister has welcomed a special operation by French forces against the gunmen holding the two French nationals, a Iranian Press TV correspondent in Somalia has learned.

The permission comes after Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke last week said he had spoken to one of two hostages.

The two had travelled to the Somali capital Mogadishu to train forces within the Somali intelligence services before they were captured by the anti-government al-Shabaab militia group last Tuesday.

Al-Shabaab has accused the French nationals of 'espionage and conspiracy' and has vowed to put them on trial and to convict them according to their strict interpretation of Sharia law.

The Somali government go-ahead for the French mission comes amid reports that the gunmen had moved one of the nationals to the neighboring Lower Shabelle region.

Regional analysts, however, question if the authorizarion given by Sharmake would be legal - according to the Somali constitution - since it would mean a violation of Somalia's souvreignty, which the parliament has to decide upon. The parliament in the meantime is not really functioning, since most lawmakers fled the violence in Mogadishu.

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