From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri Jan 23 2009 - 10:03:12 EST
Ethiopia:Ethiopian troops reportedly to remain stationed at Somali border
23.01.2009
Reports reaching us from the border between Somalia and Ethiopia indicate
that Ethiopian troops who recently withdrew from Somalia
havehttp://mareeg.com/advertImages/Cidan_iyo_gaadid_dagaal.jpg arrived at
the border between the two countries. The second batch of Ethiopian troops
withdrawing from the country has today crossed over to Ethiopia.
An official of Doolow Somalia has said the last Ethiopian soldier among
those who were withdrawing from Somalia crossed over to Ethiopia around
midnight last night and as of today, there are no Ethiopian troops in the
border towns awaiting to go back to their country.
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia [TFG] official in Doolow has
said Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from Somalia except for a few who are
still in Gedo Region and are expected to withdraw from the Region in the
next few days.
Ethiopian troops arrived in Somalia two years ago in order to assist the TFG
and have now withdrawn from Mogadishu after the government and opposition
groups have reached an agreement in which they made the decision to have
Ethiopian troops withdraw from the country.
However, it has been said that the Ethiopian troops will be at the Somali
border in case they are needed again. The Addis Ababa administration
believes that armed opposition groups might spill the conflict over to
Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia has said Ethiopian
troops might once again be deployed in the war-torn country if there is a
need and that as of now, his country faces no real danger from
<mailto:Somalia.haji.mohamad@mareeg.com> Somalia.haji.mohamad@mareeg.com
Mogadishu district head vows to fight off Islamist fighters
In Banaadir [Mogadishu and its environs], fighting between troops of
district administrations and resistance groups has entered the second day.
The bloodiest clashes occurred yesterday in Dharkenley and Wadajir
districts.
Reliable reports we obtained from local people say that up to 15 people were
killed yesterday in Wadajir and Dharkenley districts. Rockets of AMISOM
[African Union Mission to Somalia] troops were also involved in the
fighting. The number of wounded people is rising.
Troops of the Dharkenley district administration and allied [Islamist]
fighters faced off in Ma'ma'anka and Tabakayo Madow neighbourhoods as well
as at the Dharkenley Western Police Station for the third night running last
night. A reporter for this website, who visited Dharkenley District early
this morning, reports that area residents fled in fear as rival forces
facing each other appeared to mobilize.
Wadajir District administrator Ahmad Hasan Adow (Ahmad Da'i), speaking on
the situation in the district, claimed the district was attacked by allied
groups - the Somali Islamic Front, Al-Shabab, Raas Kaambooni Camp, and the
Asmara group [a faction of the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia
based in Eritrea]. He said local people defending their neighbourhoods
inflicted a huge defeat on the groups. "There is no strong government
military force in the district. The fighting is between local people and the
groups that attacked their localities," Wadajir District administrator Ahmad
Da'i said. He vowed that they would die defending their neighbourhoods and
people.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Muhammad Hayle, a man who claims to be chairman of the
Somali Islamic Front, has blamed the Wadajir District administrator for the
fighting, accusing him of attacking Dharkenley District, where their
[Islamist] fighters are stationed.
Residents of the neighbourhood around San'a Intersection also fled the area
this morning, following fighting battle that occurred there yesterday
afternoon between government troops and gunmen. Up to seven people,
including combatants and civilians, were killed in the battle. San'a
Intersection was very tense this morning as further fighting between the two
sides is feared. <mailto:Haji.mohamed@mareeg.com> Haji.mohamed@mareeg.com
Somalia:Somali MPs arrive in Djibouti to elect president
Somali parliamentarians who flew from Baidoa [the seat of parliament in
southwestern Somalia] and Mogadishu arrived this afternoon in Djibouti.
The MPs are expected to attend the presidential election which is due to
start in Djibouti. The election was previously expected to be held in Baidoa
.
The acting president, Shaykh Adan Madobe, has changed his mind of holding
the election in Baidoa following pressure from the international community.
Madobe and Prime Minister Nur Adde are due to arrive in Djibouti, and to
attend an almost successful meeting on the presidential election.
Three planes carrying MPs and members of the Alliance for Re-liberation of
Somalia have arrived in Djibouti.
US envoy, Somali MPs discuss presidential election
The United States envoy to Kenya held
http://mareeg.com/advertImages/Baarlamaanka1.jpga meeting with members of
the Federal Somali parliament at a time when there is widespread confusion
about where members of the Somali parliament will meet this coming Monday,
the 26th of January 2009, in order to elect the president who will run
Somalia in the coming five years.
Some members of the Somali parliament held a meeting with the US envoy to
Kenya in Nairobi. According to sources close to the MPs who attended the
meeting, the envoy supported the decision that the presidential elections be
held in Baidoa , Bay Region [south western Somalia, also the headquarters of
the Federal Somali parliament]. Sources also indicate that the elections
could be wherever the concerned parties agree, and that Djibouti might be a
good idea, bearing in mind the security situation in Baidoa .
Ismail Hure who is among the MPs who attended the meeting with the US envoy
in Kenya said after a long debate, the US envoy was for the idea that
elections should not be held anywhere outside Somalia.
According to the MP, the US envoy to Kenya said it was not appropriate for
Somali officials to fight over where the elections will be held at a time
when they have so much to do and the country is in political turmoil.
Meanwhile sources close to the acting president of the Transitional Federal
Government of Somalia [TFG] and the Speaker of the Federal Somali
parliament, Sheikh Adan Madobe, have said the speaker has changed his views
regarding where the elections are to be held. He was initially wanted it to
be held in Baidoa but now wants it to be held in Djibouti.
<mailto:Haji.mohamed@mareeg.com> Haji.mohamed@mareeg.com
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