From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri Jul 16 2010 - 18:21:25 EDT
Shebab 'should be annihilated'
July 16 2010 at 06:55PM
Addis Ababa - Somalia's al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab, who claimed responsibility
for deadly bombings in Uganda, should be "annihilated", Ethiopian Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi said on Thursday.
Bomb attacks on crowds watching the World Cup final on Sunday in Kampala
left at least 73 dead, the deadliest attacks in the region in 12 years and
the Shebab's first such operation outside Somalia.
"There is absolutely no hope of engaging in negotiations with this group.
There is no option but to work for their total annihilation," Meles said in
an interview to state-run television.
"These people are enemies of mankind who are ready to massacre innocent
people without any consideration," added Meles, who was in New York to
attend talks on climate change with UN officials.
Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia to topple an Islamist movement in late 2006.
The Shebab, then officially the youth wing of the defeated movement, fought
relentlessly against the Ethiopians, who eventually withdrew in early 2009.
Meles also pointed his finger at archfoe Eritrea, which has been accused of
supporting the Shebab, saying the attacks "exposed the nature" of the regime
in Asmara.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have been strained since a 1998-2000
border war which left more than 80 000 dead.
Uganda said on Thursday it was ready to send more troops to Mogadishu
following a decision by a regional bloc to send 2 000 troops needed to bring
the embattled African Union mission there to its full authorised strength of
8 100.
Meles however told AFP earlier this month that he was not going to redeploy
his military inside Somalia, despite announcing previously that he would not
hesitate to act if Islamist insurgents seized power. - Sapa-AFP
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