From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Tue Feb 17 2009 - 14:11:23 EST
Ethiopia arming Somali militias
Posted: 2/17/2009 1:42:00 PM
http://www.shabelle.net/images/ural.jpgShabelle: SOMALIA
MOGADIHSU (Sh. M. Network)-Ethiopia started arming and training Somali
militias in Mustahil District in the Somalia regional state of Ethiopia,
witnesses said on Tuesday.
Sources say the Somali militias led by former warlords who were forced to
flee from Hiiraan ,Gedo, Bay and Galgaduud regions in Somalia are regrouping
in Mustahil, where Ethiopian officers are training their militias
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Friday he would support any
group that wants assistance to face al-Shabaab and recapture the territories
they used to control.
Mr. Meles sent Ethiopian troops to Somalia in 2006 to drive out the Islamic
Courts Union led by Sheikh Sharif, but pulled out his troops from Somalia
after two years of unpopular occupation.
Thousands of innocent civilians were killed and millions were displaced
during the Ethiopian occupation and Human rights organizations accused
Ethiopian troops of committing war crimes in Somalia.
Meles said Ethiopia has no objection to Sheikh Sharif forming an Islamist
government, if that's what Somalis want. But diplomats say Ethiopia is never
pleased with strong Somali government next door and that is why Ethiopia is
always arming and training rebel militias.
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