At least eight people have been killed and 26 wounded in gunbattles between security forces and insurgents in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

Witnesses in Somalia's capital say at least four people have been killed in renewed fighting between insurgents and government forces.

The U.N. refugee agency reports between February and May, more than 400,000 civilians fled the Somali capital Mogadishu. This was sparked by heavy fighting between the Ethiopian-backed Transitional Federal Government and insurgents. The UNHCR says another 27,000 people have fled renewed violence since June.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that its aid programmes for hungry people in Somalia could be jeopardized without fresh contributions allowing the flow of relief to continue.

The U.N. Refugee Agency says weeks of violence in Somalia's capital prompted 3,500 people to flee the city in June, even as many people returned to Mogadishu.

A roadside bomb has killed two soldiers and wounded several civilians in Somalia's violent capital. Witnesses say the bomb Thursday targeted a military convoy in northern Mogadishu. There are conflicting reports on whether the dead soldiers were Somalis or Ethiopians. At least four civilians were wounded in the blast.

The United States Tuesday urged Somalia's transitional federal government to reach out as broadly as possible to clans and other factions for the national reconciliation conference planned for mid-July. The transitional government's prime minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi, met senior State Department officials in Washington Monday.

Authorities in Somalia say a roadside bomb blast has rocked the capital, Mogadishu. Authorities say the bomb was intended for a military convoy passing through northern Mogadishu Monday. Some reports say two children were killed in the attack. Other sources say the victims were wounded.

Burundi says it is ready to deploy troops as part of the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia in July. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is giving $6 million in development aid to Somalia. Some of the money will be used to support the upcoming National Reconciliation Congress, which was delayed once again this week.

One day after Somalia's interim government postponed a national reconciliation conference for the third time in three months, some residents of Mogadishu are expressing doubt the conference can be held while Ethiopian troops are in the country. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu in Mogadishu reports that a late-night gun battle Wednesday between Ethiopian troops and insurgents in south Mogadishu has caused more people to flee their homes.

For the third time in three months, organizers of Somalia's national reconciliation conference, due to begin this week in the capital, have postponed the talks. As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from Mogadishu, Somalis had widely expected another delay.

During an unannounced visit to Mogadishu today, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs expressed solidarity with the people of Somalia while encouraging the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government to reach out to their opponents for the sake of peace and reconciliation in the war-torn Horn of Africa country.