raadamiir Posted July 22, 2006 KINSHASA, Congo, July 21 — The transitional government in Somalia emphatically denied Friday that Ethiopian troops had come to rescue it, saying that the Islamic clerics who rule Somalia’s capital were spreading false rumors to create chaos. Mohammed Abdi Hayir, minister of information for the transitional government, said, “There are absolutely no Ethiopian troops in Somalia.†He said the confusion came from the fact that Ethiopia had provided 4,000 uniforms to Somali forces guarding the fledging government. “Some people have seen this and they think that Ethiopian soldiers are surrounding them, but it’s actually our forces,†he said. “This has all been exaggerated. The Islamist clerics are trying to create confusion worldwide.†There are two powers vying for control of Somalia: Islamic clerics whose forces recently outgunned American-backed warlords for control of Mogadishu, the ruined capital, and a shaky transitional government, aided by the United Nations but with so little power that it cannot survive in Mogadishu and is instead based in Baidoa, a midsize city about 150 miles away. On Friday, clerics in Mogadishu continued to insist that Somalia had been invaded and unleashed a barrage of warlike threats on the radio. Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, the hard-line leader of the Islamic Courts Union, told people to get ready for a holy war against Ethiopia, which is a primarily Christian country. Somalia is almost entirely Muslim, and the two cultures have been rivals for centuries and fought a costly war in 1970’s. “We must defend our sovereignty,†Sheik Aweys said. “I am calling on the Somali people to wage a jihad.†Talk like this put many Somalis on edge. In Mogadishu, people emerged from Friday Prayer chanting, “Down with Ethiopia!†At the Abu Hureira mosque, a young sheik told the crowd in front of him, “The enemy of God has invaded Somalia.†He instructed his listeners to defend “their religion and their soil.†In Baidoa, the transitional government imposed a nighttime curfew while its soldiers began searching cars on the street. Groups of men were rounded up and arrested, though several were released. Earlier this week Somalis reported seeing Ethiopian Army trucks and hundreds of soldiers in uniform streaming across the border and taking up positions in Baidoa. There were even reports that a column of Ethiopian troops was advancing east toward Mogadishu at the same time that Islamic militias, fresh from a string of victories, were streaming west toward Baidoa. Officials in Ethiopia have openly supported the transitional government of Somalia, siding with it as a bulwark against Muslim expansion that could threaten Ethiopia’s fragile internal politics. Ethiopia, along with several other countries, is providing military advisers and equipment to the Somali politicians in Baidoa, but Ethiopian leaders continue to deny that they sent troops across the border. Somalia is still mostly inaccessible, with communication spotty and many areas too dangerous for foreigners to travel. United Nations officials in Africa and Defense Department officials in Washington said Friday that it was unclear to them whether Ethiopia had actually invaded Somalia, or if indeed the whole episode was a mix-up over uniforms. Mark Mazzetti contributed reporting from Washington for this article, and Ahmed Mohammed from Mogadishu, Somalia. More Articles in International » Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raadamiir Posted July 22, 2006 "Ethiopia is coming" a motivational prank by the fake Islamic courts led by War-lord YusufInda Cade and Xasan Dahir. If Yusuf Inda Cade is a Sheekh so is Morgan and Barre. Laughing Laughing THERE IS NO ETHIOPIAN TROOPS IN SOMALIA JUST 4,000 DONATED UNIFORMS. COME ON PEOPLE IF ETHIOPIAN TROOPS WERE REALLY IN SOMALIA WE WOULD HAVE SEEN SOME PICTURES CAUSE THESE DAYS MOST OF THE SOMALI WEBSITES TAKE PICTURES WEBSITES LIKE SOMALIWEYN WHO TAKE VERY CLEAR PICTURES WOULD HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE SO CALL ETHIOPIAN TROOPS THAT ENTERED SOMALIA SOME EVEN ADD THEY ARE DEEP INSIDE THE COUNTRY. WHAT MATTERS IS THE MOUTH PIECE OF ISLAMIC COURTS THE HEAD OF ALL PROPAGANDA BBC REPORTED IT FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS AND HORN AFRIK REPAETS IT AND PEOPLE GO BANANAS!!! DON'T BE FOOLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
