From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Mon Jun 29 2009 - 10:32:56 EDT
Somali government seeks Ethiopian military aid
Monday, June 29, 2009
Somalia's Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and Ethiopia are
discussing plans to redeploy Ethiopian troops back in the country in
order to provide
protection to the TFG against Islamist groups who are trying to oust it,
sources privy with the two parties told Mareeg online on Sunday.
Sources at the Somali embassy in Addis Ababa have confirmed to us that
the TFG deputy prime minister, who is also the minister of finance,
traveled to Addis Ababa in an unannounced trip and is currently holding
talks.
Sharif Hasan Sheikh Adan, the deputy prime minister of the TFG, has met
senior officials of the Ethiopian military after chairing a recent
cabinet
meeting in Mogadishu in which ministers in the TFG agreed to seek the
deployment of foreign troops, particularly Ethiopian forces, in the
country.
Mareeg tried making contacts with the offices of the Somali president
and prime minister about talks with the Ethiopian military, but both
declined to
comment on the issue. Spokesmen at both offices said they do not have
the permission to discuss the matter.
Somalia's embassy in Ethiopia also officially declined to confirm the
issue. However, a Somali diplomat at the embassy who refrained from
being named
confirmed that the TFG and Ethiopian military officials were discussing
the deployment of Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
The TFG deputy prime minister and Ethiopian military officials have not
yet finalized their agreement. On the contrary, the TFG has suggested
that once
both governments agree on the matter, it will then be tabled before the
federal Somali Parliament which will endorse the deployment of Ethiopian
troops in the country.
The TFG resorted to the deployment of Ethiopian troops in the country
because of the united opposition groups that are planning to overthrow
it.
Armed groups opposed to the TFG have said they will take stern measures
against any foreign force that is deployed in Somalia, adding that they
will
engage them in clashes.
Two year ago, the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, deployed more
than 5,000 of his troops in Somalia where they were engaged in fierce
fighting by armed groups opposed to the then government.
It is not yet known whether the Ethiopian government will go ahead and
redeploy its forces in Somalia, although some analysts have suggested
that
Ethiopia might just sent its forces in areas bordering Somalia and that
it might not have the capability to once again redeploy its forces in
the
(Somali) capital, Mogadishu.
Elsewhere, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi today in his office received and
held talks with deputy prime minister and finance minister of
Transitional
Federal Government [TFG] of Somalia, Sharif Hasan.
According to a high ranking official from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs who attended the meeting, the two leaders' discussion mainly
focused on the
current general situation in Somalia.
The two leaders' discussion mainly centred on how to reverse the current
security situation in Somalia and Ethiopia's support to the Somalia's
weak
government that is struggling heavy fighting with joint opposition
fighters.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Meles said that his country wants to
assist the transitional government in training and capacity building
sectors.
Ethiopia and the transitional government of Somalia also reached an
agreement to annul the danger posed by Al-Shabab in collaboration with
the international community, the foreign affairs official said.
After the meeting, the deputy prime minister and finance minister of the
Somalia transitional government, Sharif Hasan, said that his country
wants to further enhance its bilateral relations with Ethiopia. He also
said that his discussion with Prime Minister Meles had focused on the
prevailing security problem in his country and on the support Ethiopia
wants to give to his country.
By Abdinasir Mohamed
Email: abdinasir4@gmail.com
Mogadishu-Somalia
http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=12689
<http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=12689&tirsan=3> &tirsan=3
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