Ethiopia troops cross into Somalia
Pastor Dale Morgan
Ethiopia troops cross into Somalia*
Ethiopians want to save government; Islamists in control want them out
Thursday, July 20, 2006 Posted: 1610 GMT (0010 HKT)
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Residents reported hundreds of Ethiopian
troops in armored vehicles patrolling the central Somali town of Baidoa
on Thursday, less than a day after Islamic militants reached the
outskirts of the strategic town that is home to a largely powerless
U.N.-backed government.
A leader of the Islamic group controlling large parts of southern
Somalia demanded that Ethiopian troops withdraw.
"We will declare Jihad if the Ethiopian government refuses to withdraw
their troops from Somalia. They must withdraw as soon as possible ... We
will wait for some time to see if they respect our demands," Sheik
Sharif Sheik Ahmed told The Associated Press.
A spokesman for the Ethiopian government had said that his country would
protect Somalia's transitional government from attack by the Somali
Islamic militias.
Witnesses told AP that Ethiopian soldiers arrived Thursday afternoon in
Baidoa, the only town held by the government, 240 kilometers (150 miles)
northwest of Mogadishu and about 150 kilometers (100 miles) east of the
Ethiopian border.
The Ethiopians, wearing their national military uniform, smiled and
waved to residents as they drove into Baidoa. Some were deployed at the
airport outside the town and others drove into a fenced compound near
the transitional president's home in Baidoa. Somali militiamen prevented
residents from approaching the area, residents said.
The Ethiopian troops have set up a camp near the transitional
president's home in Baidoa, residents said.
"People were prevented from walking on the road that leads to the
building," one resident said on the condition of anonymity because of
fears of reprisals.
Ethiopian and government officials were not immediately available for
comment.
But late Wednesday Ethiopia's Minister of Information, Berhan Hailu,
told The Associated Press that his government would intervene to prop up
Somalia's transitional government, which has no effective military of
its own and only controls the town of Baidoa.
"We have the responsibility to defend the border and the Somali
government. We will crush them," Berhan said.
Somalia invaded Ethiopia in 1978 in an attempt to grab land occupied by
ethnic Somalis.
Since then, Ethiopia has attempted to influence Somali politics to
prevent another invasion. Ethiopia sent troops into Somalia in 1993 and
1996 to crush Islamic militants attempting to establish a religious
government.
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is allied with Ethiopia and has
asked for its support. Hundreds of Ethiopian troops have been spotted
along the countries' border in recent weeks -- which the Islamic militia
has repeatedly denounced.