Ethiopians to stay on in Somalia

[Castro]

Ethiopian forces are to remain in Somalia to ensure stability after the defeat of Islamist militias, but splits have emerged over when they may leave.

 

The prime minister of Somalia's fragile interim government, Ali Mohamed Ghedi, says that heavily-armed soldiers from Ethiopia would be needed for months.

 

But Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told MPs that he hoped his forces could withdraw within two weeks.

 

The two-week advance ended a six-month Islamist occupation of south Somalia.

 

Kenyan forces are on the Somali border, to intercept fleeing Islamist militias, following the fall of Kismayo, their last stronghold, on Monday.

 

But two top Islamist leaders are reported to have been seen some 100km north of Kismayo with dozens of armed pick-up trucks. Ethiopian forces are said to be in pursuit.

 

Somalia's weak interim government wants Ethiopian forces to remain in the country until peacekeepers deploy, as they have few well-trained troops and are poorly placed to maintain law and order without help.

 

But the presence of Ethiopian troops on Somali soil could also damage the government's attempts to win widespread support, the BBC's Karen Allen says.

 

Stay

 

Mr Ghedi said Uganda and Nigeria have offered to send contingents of troops, but details about who would fund such a force still need to be thrashed out.

 

He told the BBC that Somali troops were ready to take on more responsibility for security, but at first they would need help from the Ethiopians.

 

"It depends how the stabilisation and pacification takes place. It can be weeks, it can be months - but not more," he said.

 

He appealed for humanitarian aid and urged the AU to send peacekeepers soon.

 

On Monday, Mr Ghedi set a deadline of Thursday for all Somalis to hand in their weapons, but this has reportedly borne little fruit so far in the capital, Mogadishu. He has also offered an amnesty to fleeing Islamists if they give themselves up.

 

Leave

 

Mr Meles said the Ethiopian operation in Somalia had achieved most of its objectives and that his troops would withdraw at the earliest opportunity.

 

"We will go out as soon as possible. It could be in two weeks in order to achieve stability," he told MPs.

 

But speaking in parliament, Mr Meles said there was still a need to mop up Islamic fighters and to ensure that Somalia does not return to the chaotic rule of the warlords who ran the country after the fall of the last effective government 16 years ago.

 

"It is up to the international community to deploy a peacekeeping force in Somalia without delay to avoid a vacuum and the resurgence of extremists and terrorists," he told MPs.

 

He also warned that the UIC may now engage in an insurgency.

 

The BBC's Amber Henshaw in Addis Ababa says many analysts fear the situation could mirror that in Iraq or Afghanistan - a quick victory followed by protracted fighting by insurgents.

 

Ethiopia accuses the UIC of harbouring al-Qaeda militants. This is denied by the militia.

 

Arrests

 

Kenya police are questioning 10 people believed to be senior UIC members who fled across the border at the weekend.

 

They are currently being held at the Garrissa police division in northern Kenya.

 

Garrissa District Commissioner Joseph Imbwaga confirmed to the BBC News website that the individuals are being questioned.

 

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki is chairing an emergency cabinet meeting in Mombasa to discuss developments with key security chiefs also in attendance.

 

He has also called for a summit of East African countries to discuss the situation.

 

Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa has told the BBC that his country was ready to commit 1,000 troops as part of an African regional peacekeeping force.

 

The UN estimates that about 30,000 people have been displaced during the fighting, and casualties have been high.

 

BBC

[Ahmed_Guree]

Ethiopians have interests in somalia so why should they loose more than 500 soilders and just depart?

Meles vision for somalia is that it remains ungovernable.

He once told the warlords

'I want to be neighbours with Somalis but not a somali Govt'

 

Somalis will have a price to pay for ushering ethiopians into Somalia one day but it will be too late as the roots of the Ethiopian occupation deepens and stretches the harder it will be to uproot them.

 

The ICU was the only dream for Somalia know its a mirage.

It was defeated not by the Ethiopians but it was betrayed by its own folks.

1.Those that brought the Ethiopians into somalia to create 'Peace'

2.Those that were drum beating for a showdown with ethiopia troops then they dissolved into the midst of the fracas.

ever wondered were the ICU troops Bendiradley and Hiraan troops who were almost 10,000 vanished to at the critical time.

[Sky]

The Ethiopians should stay till the country stabilizes itself and the Somali government is strong enough to control the country by itself. Till then the Ethiopian force needs to be used as a walking stick.

 

The government and the people need to stay focused of the possibilities for the near future if things are handled in the right away. Empty cries by the defeated lot and bogus claims of Ethiopia occupying us/annexing us need to be ignored.

 

We need to stay focused and work hard for unity and the reinstitution of government authority. It's about time.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Sky:

Empty cries by the

defeated lot

and bogus claims of Ethiopia occupying us/annexing us need to be ignored.

[Sky]

^ A slight snare towards Oodweyne and it means those that wanted to see Abdullahi Yusuf fall flat on his face. Which is the only thing that seemed to unite the Clan Court terrorists and the seccesionists on this new development.

 

So hold your horses, you didn't prove anything.

[Castro]

^ The irony, which I'm sure has eluded you, is that you and Oodweyne have more in common than you appreciate.

[Sky]

Oodweyne and I are miles apart. I do not dwell in the past nor do I fool myself like he does.

[Ana_Juwa2]

Its been a while since i've posted in SOL!

 

Infact i never imagined i would return back to SOL for more than just Silent reading, but the events of the last 6/7 months and the tribal trash that would come to be tolerated and inhabit SOL got me itiching to write something.

 

I never imagined that SOL would become yet another somali website which would go from being no-baised and factual in most respects, to becoming a tribal/regional affiliated website, tolerating qaabilism in a re-markated style & protecting certain group of individuals who promote the propagation of this *******ised Organisation Called the TNG simply becauses of relation to members, a haterated for the success of UIC's & tribal affiliation terrorists, Clan Courts etc etc would become their defaming solgan

 

I could have posted this in so many different topics such is the hedonistic nature of SOL tribalist posters and the sheer number of posts dedicated to mis-informing, insulating and defaming in the pursuit for there own self-fufill-ment, their clannish mentality.

 

In all fairness! somali's are qaabilsits through and through, so i suppose it would be naive to assume that SOL Somali's could be anything different i.e. the good the bad and the tribalisits. But lets call a spade a spade, a lot of people here have shown there true colours over a period of time, some have tried to hide it under elaborate arguments, some havent bothered trying, and most importantly that powers that bee have tolerated it, and what more have also tolerated the insulting, defaming and just plain tribal bashing threads and posts to go along with it

 

The mujahids that fought braverly against superior fire power and treason still lie dead across the battlefields slyain, and many depraved and shameless individuals like this one above me continue to resort to calling the terrorists, or clan court etc etc, without reprimand or challange.

 

SHAME ON YOU SOL, SHAME ON YOU.

 

 

May allah forgive the dead marty's that have fallen fighting in his way, and may allah swt punish those munafiq's that have conspired to bring about the downfall of there muslim brethren in the pursuit of their own egotistical ambitions and interests.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Ana_Juwa2:

The mujahids that fought braverly against superior fire power and treason still lie dead across the battlefields slyain, and many depraved and shameless individuals like this one above me continue to resort to calling the terrorists, or clan court etc etc, without reprimand or challange.

 

SHAME ON YOU SOL, SHAME ON YOU.

I asked the same thing a few days ago and after thinking about it further, I realized censorship is futile, even counterproductive.

 

Opinions vary on the state of Somalia today and I'd rather read and know about those whom I fondly label 'door knobs'. They're out there and silencing them won't make them go away. Whether it is for the love of the qabiil, financial gain, brainwashing or what have you, putting a lid on such mentality is ineffective. The lack of eloquence and logic in their arguments is here for the whole world to see. Perhaps when others point out their distorted view of reality can they have a chance of seeing the light. Some will never see the light, however.

[Peacenow]

They can't afford to stay on. Not unless the US is funding it directly.

Look at the pitiful state of the Ethiopian economy and how small it is. It is the same size as a small island in the Carribean. They simply don't have the money to fight continusly for any length of time.

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

They can finance with our natural resources or

 

maybe they can sell half of the country to the US

 

or maybe they can jointly hold the country with

 

US, US providing the fiancial resources, weapons,

 

and such and Wayone providing the man power!

 

 

Walle kuwa cuqaasha isku sheegaya ee Muqdisho

 

kusoo hogaamiyey injirleyda way

 

kashaleytoon doonaan marka xaasaskooda,

 

gabdhahooda, iyo hooyooyinkood hortooda lu kufsado

[Che -Guevara]

Ethiopians are in no condition to occupy anywhere. The Woyane is simply preparing the eventual break-up of Ethio itself.

[Peacenow]

Exactly look at the size of their economy USD11 billion!!!

They have 70 million sharing USD11 billion. That is beggar land.