From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun Apr 04 2010 - 17:16:37 EDT
'We will capture Mogadishu: Al-Shabaab spokesman
Apr 5, 2010 - 9:46:45 AM
Somalia 's hardline insurgent group Al-Shabaab vowed to take the control of
entire Somalia including bullet-riddled Mogadishu before the arrival of
Somalia 's troops trained outside the war-torn country.
Al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mahmoud Raghe said the group is aware that
the European Union has given the go-ahead for some 2000 Somali forces to be
trained in Uganda .
"We are aware that the enemy is training soldiers for the puppet government
but we are telling them that our fighters will capture the country before
they arrive," he told reporters in Mogadishu .
"The people should join the fighting in order to take over the control of
the few areas remaining under the government so that those soldiers who are
coming would not have a safe landing," he added.
The EU training mission dubbed 'EUTM', which Spain , Germany and France gave
their support of 100 troops plus several dozen additional staff, is to
commence in Uganda next week.
The fragile UN-backed government in Mogadishu has previously benefited from
military trainings offered to its soldiers by foreign countries. It is now
preparing for large offensive against the insurgents and this training is
expected to heavily impact on the security situation in the country.
Neighboring Kenya is currently withholding some 2,500 troops which it
trained in its soil, because of diplomatic misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab spokesman urged Somali pirates to release all
Somalia-bound boats they seized saying they have passed their limit of
protecting the waters from illegal looting.
"It is unacceptable for pirates to hijack commercial boats carrying goods
for the devastated population. I am telling those who seized the boats that
they passed the limits of excuse to protect our waters from illegal
fishing," he said.
According to Somali traders in Mogadishu, pirates seized at least 11 hired
boats bound for the war-torn country over the week.
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