From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Fri Jun 12 2009 - 19:26:35 EDT
Ethiopian troops cross deeper into Somalia-residents
12 Jun 2009 19:53:25 GMT
* Residents say Ethiopian troops enter central town
* Ethiopia says no intention of going back into Somalia
* Residents flee rebel area after Ethiopians arrive
By Abdi Guled
MOGADISHU, June 12 (Reuters) - Heavily-armed Ethiopian soldiers crossed
into central Somalia on Friday and entered a town controlled by a
pro-government militia nearly 30 kms (19 miles) from the border,
residents said.
"They came with battle wagons and trucks all full of soldiers and guns,"
said Hassan Abdi, a resident in the town of Balanbale in Galgadud
region. "Everybody is very worried."
Residents said the Ethiopian troops were setting up positions in the
centre of the town.
Ethiopia sent thousands of troops into Somalia in 2006 to help topple an
Islamist movement holding Mogadishu and most of the south. That drew
protests from some in the Muslim world and enraged the Islamists, who
regrouped to launch an insurgency.
The Ethiopian soldiers withdrew in January but residents, insurgents and
humanitarian organisations have reported new incursions in the past few
months.
Addis Ababa initially denied any soldiers had crossed into Somalia but
said earlier this month that military personnel had been carrying out
"reconnaissance" missions into its neighbour.
"Ethiopia has no intention to go back into Somalia. That is the standing
position of our government," the Ethiopian government's head of
information, Bereket Simon, told Reuters on Friday when asked about
reports of new incursions.
People living in the southwestern Somali region of Bakool, which is
controlled by hardline Islamist rebel group al Shabaab, said Ethiopian
troops moved into a village called Washaga on Friday and residents were
fleeing.
"I'm now packed up to leave the village, al Shabaab and the Ethiopians
are close to each other and on the verge of fighting," said resident
Fatima Isaq Madey. (Additional reporting by Mohamed Ahmed and Ibrahim
Mohamed in Mogadishu, Barry Malone in Addis Ababa, Writing by David
Clarke)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LC81112.htm
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