The elders told AFP in a radio communication that an ethnic Somali, Colonel Ahmed Abdi Gooye, was commanding the Ethiopian contingent, which arrived at the village early on Thursday.

Elders of Hawiye's Garre subclan, which is predominant in Farsoley, had welcomed the Ethiopians, who have since disarmed three people in the village. Farsoley village is 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest of Qoryoley district in the fertile banana-producing Lower Shabelle region.

The arriving Ethiopian forces were not met by any resistance from the militiamen of Somali warlord Hussein Mohamed Aidid who had earlier been deployed to defend the area.

Meanwhile, Aidid on Thursday accused Ethiopia of attacking Somalia with the aim of dividing the country into pieces that will not be able to recover links with each other.

Addressing supporters at the former high court building in south Mogadishu, Aidid said that he would reconcile with Ethiopia politically, but warned that this would only be possible after every inch of Somali territory under Ethiopia is reclaimed.

"Ethiopia cannot blackmail us by capturing parts of Somalia under a new approach, but by the help of the Libyan government, we might reach an amicable solution to the current conflict between us," Aidid said.

The south Mogadishu warlord said that there have been 50,000 ethnic Ethiopian Oromo refugees in Somalia for a long time, although these Oromo refugees have been "labelled" by Ethiopia as Oromo Liberation Frontrebels.

"This is a pretext to invade Somalia," Aidid charged, and he also accused elders in the breakaway Republic of Somaliland in the northwest for their effort to host a conference aimed at pacifying southern Somalia.

One of the main faction leaders in Somalia, Hussein Aideed, says he plans to travel to Libya shortly for talks with Ethiopian officials over recent Ethiopian troop advances in southern Somalia.

Mr Aideed said Tripoli had been attempting to mediate between the two sides -- and that he was optimistic the crisis could now be resolved.

Speaking to his supporters in southern Somalia, Mr Aideed said Ethiopian troops were now within one-hundred-and- eighty kilometres of Mogadishu.

He condemned Ethiopia over the incursion but said he was ready for wide-ranging talks to try to resolve their differences. The BBC correspondent in Mogadishu says this suggests that he's prepared to discuss the presence on his territory of Ethiopian Oromo rebels.

Speaking to his supporters in south Mogadishu, Aidid strongly criticized what he called the new approach of Ethiopia in which he said Ethiopia is dividing Somalia.

The faction leader expressed concern by mentioning that the Ethiopian troops are only 180 kilometers away from the Somali capital.

However, Aidid said "we're going to have a face-to-face meeting with Ethiopia in Tripoli." He noted that Libya is playing an important role in mediating between the two sides. Aidid said that he would negotiate with Ethiopia on all issues other than Somalia's reconciliation and the unity of the Horn of Africa country.

Nonetheless, tension is still high as the Ethiopian troops allegedly keep advancing towards the territories controlled by Aidid in southern Somalia.

More than 5,000 Ethiopian troops are reportedly manning two major military bases inside Somalia.

It was reported that Aidid's militiamen are being strengthened by several hundred Oromo-ethnic Ethiopians in defending the only tarmac Airport of Ballidogleh from the advancing Ethiopian troops. The Oromo- ethnic group are opposing to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government in Addis Ababa.

Military analysts here foresee that both the defensive tactics being played and the trenches dug in the front lines will contribute to serious resistance if the Ethiopians try to take Ballidogleh airport.

However, Colonel Omar Hashi Aden of Hiran region has criticized Aidid for violating their territories by making Oromo and Eritreans pass through Hiran region.

He warned that possible clannish war may flare up if the practice is repeated.

Conflicting reports also indicated that the Ethiopian troops have also far reached the village of Farsoley, about 20 km north of Qoryoley town, which is only 165 km south of the capital city.

Qoryoley town is among the target towns for the Ethiopians since the Oromo-ethnic Ethiopians have been given their base there.