From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Fri Aug 07 2009 - 16:06:19 EDT
INTERVIEW-Eritrea rejects Clinton criticism over Somalia
07 Aug 2009 12:24:08 GMT
* Says U.S. arms shipments stoke violence
* Eritrea not fazed by U.S. warning
By Jeremy Clarke
NAIROBI, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Eritrea reacted angrily on Friday to U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's accusations that it was
destabilising the region and backing rebels in Somalia.
Speaking after meeting the Somali president in Kenya on Thursday,
Clinton warned Washington would take action against Asmara if it did not
stop its "unacceptable" support for Somali insurgents including the al
Shabaab group. [ID:nL6095551]
But Eritrea's Information Minister Ali Abdu said it was the United
States, not Asmara, that threatened to ignite more violence in the
volatile Horn of Africa nation by providing extensive military aid to
the government in Mogadishu.
"The United States has given Somalia 40 tonnes of weapons and
ammunition. Do they think the situation is helped by imposing the power
of fire?" Ali said in a telephone interview.
"The situation in Somalia is being complicated by external influence.
The United States should stop meddling in the affairs of the Somali
people."
Western security agencies say Somalia is a haven for militants planning
attacks in the region and beyond.
Australian police said this week they had uncovered a plot to attack a
Sydney army base by men they said had links to al Shabaab, which
Washington says is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia.
Ali said Asmara was unmoved by Clinton's warning.
"We do not care about the U.S. threat at all. We care only about doing
the right thing," he told Reuters. Eritrea routinely denies all charges
that it arms or funds Somali insurgents.
Violence in Somalia has killed more than 18,000 people since the start
of 2007 and uprooted another 1 million.
(Editing by Daniel Wallis and Michael Roddy)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L7208242.htm
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