From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sat Jul 04 2009 - 17:19:56 EDT
Excerpts: "Carson said he also held talks with Eritrean foreign minister
Osman Salehin on the sidelines of the AU summit in Libya where he
expressed Washington's growing concern over Asmara's military assistance
to the Al-Shabaab militia.
"I urged the Eritrean foreign minister to encourage his government
not to support the Al-Shabaab, not to allow the Eritrean territory to be
used by Al-Shabaab and not to allow any foreign elements to transit
Eritrea into Somalia," he said.
"We hope that the Eritrean government will work to stop the fighting
in Somalia, will work to support a process that will help to stabilize
the situation in Somalia and not to make it worse."
According to Carson, the Eritrean foreign minister denied that
Asmara is "in any way supporting Al-Shabaab and denied that Eritrea is
the conduit for ammunition and arms into Somalia."
U.S. pledges increased military support to Somalia
www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-05 01:20:19 Print
by Daniel Ooko
NAIROBI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States said on Saturday it
would increase its military assistance to Somalia to help the
transitional government restore sanity and the rule of law in the
war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation.
Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State for Africa Affairs Johnnie Carson also said the Obama
administration has recently provided 10 million dollars as parts of
Washington's contribution to the African Union mission in Somalia
(AMISOM).
Carson said that the funds would compliment the efforts of the
pan-African military force to support a strong government in Somalia.
He said the peace process in Somalia is facing enormous challenges,
noting that this could be overcome if regional states and international
community join hands in seeking lasting peace in Somalia.
"The U.S. is glad that the Africa Union and IGAD (the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) did take up the issue of
Somalia at the Summit in Libya and have taken a strong stance on the
issue under their wings for close and careful consideration," said
Carson.
"The U.S. will continue to look for ways of providing support to the
TFG (Transitional Federal Government)... This will include military
support in terms of arms and material resources but not manpower."
Carson said Washington has seen widespread unemployment and large
movements of people out of Mogadishu, which has probably lost over half
of its population in the last couple of years, enormous numbers of
people displaced.
He said he went to the just concluded AU Summit particularly to meet
IGAD leaders and Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed whom he
assured of Washington's continued support for the Djibouti-led peace
process.
"This is the view that is held by the IGAD states with an exception
of Eritrea and the U.S. would continue to work as effectively as well
with states within the region to help Sheikh Sharif ... to support the
AMISOM that is on the ground in Somalia," he said.
Carson said Washington would encourage all donors which made pledges
to the fledging government in Brussels early this year to honour them
either materially or in terms of monetary assistance.
The U.S. top diplomat for Africa also voiced Washington's concern
about the continued support of Al-Shabaab militia which has stepped
nearly daily attacks on the transitional government and displaced over
180,000 Somalis and killed 250 others since May7.
Carson said he also held talks with Eritrean foreign minister Osman
Salehin on the sidelines of the AU summit in Libya where he expressed
Washington's growing concern over Asmara's military assistance to the
Al-Shabaab militia.
"I urged the Eritrean foreign minister to encourage his government
not to support the Al-Shabaab, not to allow the Eritrean territory to be
used by Al-Shabaab and not to allow any foreign elements to transit
Eritrea into Somalia," he said.
"We hope that the Eritrean government will work to stop the fighting
in Somalia, will work to support a process that will help to stabilize
the situation in Somalia and not to make it worse."
According to Carson, the Eritrean foreign minister denied that
Asmara is "in any way supporting Al-Shabaab and denied that Eritrea is
the conduit for ammunition and arms into Somalia.
He said Washington would study closely the AU and IGAD resolutions
on Somalia with a view of taking the best cause of action of helping
Somalia's neighbors and the pan African body trying to stabilize the
Horn of Africa nation.
Fighters from Al-Shabaab and Hezbul Islam, an allied faction, have
been mounting attacks against forces loyal to President Sheikh Sharif
Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist elected in January by the expanded
Somali parliament following successful UN-brokered peace talks between
the Somali government and a faction led by Sheikh Ahmed.
Al-Shabaab now effectively controls almost the entire south and
central portions of Somalia except for few pockets run by Hezbul Islam,
which also partly controls the central Somali town of Beledweyn, the
last stronghold of pro-government forces in central Somalia.
Carson also called for urgent deployment of additional troops to
Somalia to help prop up security to the war-torn country and urged the
international community to lend a hand in securing peace in the country.
He however, said Washington is glad that Burundi has promised to
send a third battalion as soon as possible to Somalia to help shore up
the government.
"Most of the equipment and supplies are already in Mogadishu. The
government of Burundi has also indicated that it's prepared to provide
some military support in terms of manpower to aid AMISOM," he said.
The U.S. envoy said the Djibouti Process must be supported to bring
peace to the region.
He also confirmed the United States is providing military aid to
Somalia's government to help it repel an onslaught by Islamist rebels.
He noted the move followed an urgent call for help from the fledgling
government, which has been fighting Islamist militias.
Somalia, a nation of about 8 million people, has experienced almost
constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in
January 1991.
Editor: Yan
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/05/content_11653604.htm
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