http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ethiopian-troops-enter-somalia-take-control-of-border-town-residents-reported-to-flee/2011/12/31/gIQALJv0RP_story.html
Ethiopian troops enter Somalia, take control of border town; residents
reported to flee
By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, December 31, 6:40 AM
NAIROBI, Kenya — Hundreds of Ethiopian troops poured into a western
Somalia border town on Saturday, opening a new front against the
militant group al-Shabab, which now faces hostile militaries on three
sides.
Resident Mohammed Abdi said hundreds of residents fled Beledweyne on
Saturday after hundreds of Ethiopian and Somali troops moved in. Capt.
Hashi Nor of the Somali military confirmed that Somali and Ethiopian
troops had moved in.
“I saw Ethiopian troops standing at the doors of neighboring homes.
Somali soldiers are also searching the homes,” Abdi said. “Al-Shabab
retreated back to Bulo Burte and also many of the residents fled, and
those who remained are in their homes.”
The military movement appears to be a third front against al-Shabab,
Somalia’s strongest militant group. Kenyan troops moved into Somalia
in mid-October in a push against the militants in the country’s south.
African Union troops from Uganda, Burundi and most recently from
Djibouti have mostly pushed al-Shabab fighters out of the capital,
Mogadishu.
“We are in full control of Beledweyne now and our troops will move
forward in the coming hours,” Nor, the Somali military officer, said
by phone from Beledweyne.
Abdi said the sound of gunfire could be heard in Beledweyne but that
he did not believe actual battle was taking place. However, al-Shabab
on its official Twitter feed said that a battle that began at 6 a.m.
was still “raging” in the city as of midday.
Al-Shabab said that a “majority” of Beledweyne residents joined
al-Shabab “to thwart the offensive.” It claimed that dozens of
Ethiopian troops had been killed, but that was impossible to verify
and was likely an exaggerated claim. It later said on Twitter that
al-Shabab was executing a planned withdrawal and would surround the
city.
Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said in a statement that
Somalia’s armed forces had taken over “strategic places” from
al-Shabab in the central region of Hiran on Saturday. He did not make
direct mention of involvement by Ethiopian troops.
“We are officially requesting the international community and the
neighboring countries like Ethiopia to stand on our shoulders and help
the Somali people and their government for the historic operation to
liberate the country from this brutal terror group,” he said. “We are
also asking the humanitarian aid agencies to reach and help people
living in the areas liberated from al-Shabab.”
U.S.-backed Ethiopian troops moved into Somalia in 2006 at the
invitation of the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government. But the
incursion was seen by many Somalis as an unpopular invasion and
actually helped give birth to the al-Shabab movement. Ethiopians
pulled out in early 2009, and there are fears that a new push by
Somalia could be a propaganda coup for al-Shabab.
Ethiopia in November said it was considering whether to contribute
troops to the African Union force in Somalia. Kenya’s parliament
recently voted for its forces to join the AU force. That move is
awaiting approval by the United Nations.
The central Somalia town of Beledweyne lies about 20 miles (30
kilometers) from the border with Ethiopia. A commercial hub, it lies
on a key road that links Mogadishu with northern Somalia. Control of
the town has changed hands frequently in recent months as different
militias push to seize control of it.
___
A Somali employee of The Associated Press contributed to this report
----[Mailing List for Eritrea Related News ]----
Received on Sat Dec 31 2011 - 16:10:18 EST