Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
Aweys Osman Yusuf
22 December 2006
Mogadishu — Two rival archenemies, Ethiopia and Eritrea, who have unfinished border disputes and fought border battles from 1998 to 2000, are engaged in rhetoric and accusations over the ongoing fighting in Somalia between the Islamic Courts Union and Ethiopian-backed government forces.
Ethiopia laid blame on Eritrea for destabilizing the peace in Somalia and being involved in the war in Somalia.
Mohamood Dirir, Ethiopian tourism minister, accused Eritrea of supporting the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia. He denied that Ethiopian troops in Badioa were involved in the skirmishes near the government garrison town of Baidoa.
He said the Islamists intend to fail the internationally recognized government. "The Islamists are planning to oust the current transitional government and set up an Islamic republic, using their military powers", he said.
Earlier Eritrea accused Ethiopia of being involved in Somalia militarily and being part of Somalia's internal problems.
Islamic Courts Union said they were at war with Ethiopian troops in the country not the government, alleging they killed 203 Ethiopian soldiers and wounded more than that number.
More than 100 are believed to be dead since the fighting started on late Tuesday afternoon.
Witnesses in Baidoa say they had seen number of Ethiopian forces fighting alongside with the government troops in Idaale, 70 km (45 miles) southwest of Baidoa.
Somalia's transitional government was formed in 2004 after two years negotiations in Kenya.
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