H09538
Headlines : International300 Ethopian troops enter Somalia
This short article takes some unpacking and expanding. First, the Islamic ‘militants’ did not ‘capture’ Mogadishu, but actually held it in the face of a U.S. backed ‘counter-terrorism’ force. Second, the repressive government of Meles Zanawi in Ethiopia, has long escaped serious censure for its quashing of dissent and derailing of domestic elections. Essentially, Ethiopia is America’s prime stooge in the horn of Africa, which may well be a lucrative hydrocarbon province to boot.
In this world we live in, another one of the poorest nations on earth is playing the proxy role for the richest, for whatever scraps or spoils Somalia seems to offer – or so it seems. In this case, it is possible that Ethiopia is providing a threat of force to the Islamic Courts, rather than a means of securing Mogadishu (something they would probably be unable to achieve anyhow) but this could turn bloody, fast.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Ethiopia is blaming ‘fundamentalists’ who are bent on infiltrating Ethiopian territory, while they also claim that the Islamists took Mogadishu (but my understanding of the events is somewhat different).
[Posted By Szamko]Republished from Washington Post
The leader of the Islamic militants who captured the Somali capital earlier this month said 300 Ethiopian troops entered the country on Saturday and accused the United States of supporting the incursion.
The Ethiopian troops entered Somalia through the border town of Dolow in the southwestern region of Gedo at 8 a.m., Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, chairman of the Islamic Courts Union, told journalists.
“We want the whole world to know what’s going on. The United States is encouraging Ethiopia to take over the area. Ethiopia has crossed our borders and are heading for us. They are supporting the transitional federal government,” Ahmed said.
“They have deployed a lot of soldiers around the border towns, which is why we have been saying that Ethiopia is going to send in troops to Somalia,” the cleric said.
Posted by Szamko
Just tries to tell the truth.
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Ok, then. 20/7/2006, BBC – we’re talking invasion blues again:
Ethiopian troops on Somali soil
A BBC reporter has seen Ethiopian troops in uniform in Baidoa, the base of the weak interim government
but, The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which control much of southern Somalia, say they never intended to attack Baidoa and have pulled troops back
(that is after it was reported that they had marched on Baidoa in an attempt to crush the transitional government. Turns out that was a mistake.)