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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Sep 30 2010 - 09:29:14 EDT
Ethiopian Troops Cross Into Somalia
September 30, 2010 7:39 a.m. EST
Abdi Hajji Hussein - AHN News Correspondent
Hudur, Somalia (AHN) - Heavily armed Ethiopian forces flanked by military
vehicles crossed into Somalia near the Bakool region late Tuesday, residents
said on Wednesday.
No sooner did Ethiopian troops reach the village of Quracjoome in southern
Somalia than they started military movements. Residents told All Headline
News they feared the presence of the Ethiopian troops would cause Al Shabaab
militants in the region to launch attacks. Al Shabaab controls much of south
and central Somalia.
It is the second time the Ethiopian military has crossed into Somali in less
than a week, earlier entering the village of Kalbeyrka in the Hiran region
in central Somalia. Sources said Ethiopian military officials are due to
meet Somali government officials in the region, but the reason for the
meeting is unknown.
Also unknown is the Ethiopians' real aim in crossing the border.
Forces from Ethiopia repeatedly cross into southern and central Somalia
because it fears Islamists whose numbers are growing, experts said. Late in
2006, a large number of Ethiopian troops endorsing the former leader of the
Somali Transitional Federal Government, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, invaded
Somalia and managed to dislodge the Union of Islamic Courts that used to
rule much of southern and central Somalia.
During the invasion, more than 20,000 people died and 1.5 million were
displaced.
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