Museveni Afeworki

[Faarax-Brawn]

OK, Kaguta Yoweri Museveni is in Eritria, definetly not for a vacation; so what is in the agenda ?

 

Speculate pundits,Who initiated the meeting? Isias? Why was the meeting arranged hastily?

[Faarax-Brawn]

President Yoweri Museveni yesterday landed in the Eritrean port city of Massawa in what seems an unexpected return route from his Asia trip. Museveni and his wife, Janet, were received at the airport by Eritrean President Isaia Afeworki, according to a press release from state house.

 

 

The two-day visit is likely to focus on the worsening situation in Somalia, where Ugandan peacekeepers reported their first death on Saturday. Five more Ugandans were injured, two of them seriously, when mortar shells pounded the presidential palace they were guarding.

 

The casualties, whose identities can only be revealed after their families have been informed, were on Sunday morning evacuated to Nairobi.

 

Heavy fighting between Ethiopian and Somali troops and insurgents raged on for a fourth day yesterday, as Ethiopia said its military had killed more than 200 insurgents and hospital sources told The New Vision the number of wounded had soared to 656.

 

More shells rained on the presidential palace, known as Villa Somalia, which is still guarded by Ugandan soldiers, but no new casualties were reported.

 

“We are still at Villa Somalia”, said spokesman Capt. Paddy Ankunda by telephone. “A total of 150 peacekeepers have taken over the security of the palace from the Ethiopians. The mortar bomb which killed our soldier and wounded five others was targeted at the Ethiopian troops.”

 

President Museveni’s visit is widely seen as an effort to appease Eritrea, which is accused of arming and supporting Islamist insurgents, and to seek its support for the peacekeeping operation.

 

Last month, Eritrea told Uganda to pull its forces out immediately, warning of “dire consequences” if they remained.

 

“We believe that the Government of Uganda must rectify its error and pull out of Somalia, otherwise the situation will become increasingly dangerous,” Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu said.

 

“It will not only worsen but will become a war between the Somali people and external forces. That will have dire consequences for the whole region.”

 

A message from Museveni, delivered by his foreign affairs minister Sam Kuteesa two weeks ago, did not seem to have yielded results. Hours later, the Eritrean minister again warned foreigners not to meddle in Somalia’s affairs.

 

“The parties who want to help the Somali people and preserve the unity of Somalia should let them decide their own affairs,” a statement warned.

 

The fourth straight day of fighting left a trail of devastation in the capital.

 

“The fighting was less intense than Saturday, allowing for people to leave their homes,” said one medical officer by telephone from Mogadishu.

 

“Thousands and thousands are fleeing the city. As there are no buses, they flee on foot with whatever they can carry.

 

“Businessmen are evacuating their goods, fearing destruction and looting. Prices of water, food and fuel have shot up. All commercial flights have stopped.”

 

Some businessmen attempted to open their shops at the main Bakara market after the local radio had announced a ceasefire between the Ethiopian troops and the ****** clan. “But when the shelling resumed, they quickly closed them,” the medical officer said.

 

According to AFP, elders from the ****** clan made frantic calls for a ceasefire to allow civilians to flee.

 

The elders, who held talks with Ethiopian commanders, said rival sides should observe an unconditional truce and withdraw their forces from frontline neighbourhoods.

 

“We call on both sides to stop the fire and withdraw from the frontlines four hours after the ceasefire is implemented,” they said in a statement.

 

“We ask the AU peacekeeping mission AMISOM, to monitor the implementation of this ceasefire.”

 

But the calls were in vain. The exodus was reportedly highest from the Ali Kamin neighbourhood and the stadium area, where the fighting has been the fiercest.

 

An AFP correspondent saw the bodies of six civilians lying in the street. Fire from artillery and tanks had destroyed homes in the stadium area.

 

“There is still fighting over here. There are tanks everywhere. Shells are landing everywhere and this is very scary,” Hussein Ali, a resident of southern Mogadishu, told AFP.

 

“There are very few residents left in the battle zone. A lot of people have been killed and others wounded,” he added.

 

The bodies of two soldiers could be seen