Frightened Somalis are fleeing the capital as fighting rages between pro-government forces and Islamist militias.
The government controls one key road in the capital and key installations with the assistance of just over 4 350 African Union troops.
Two groups of government forces have defected.
The few local residents who have not fled said Friday they were running out of food and that local shops in north Mogadishu were closed.
Earlier this week local television station HornAfrik showed Islamist fighters displaying 17 military vehicles with government registration plates they said were brought over by a contingent of defecting soldiers. Another group guarding a weapons cache at the city’s main stadium also defected. — Sapa-AP