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Somalia: Ethiopian Army Threatens to Label Hiran Region as Insurgent Stronghold
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Garowe Online (Garowe)
29 November 2007
Posted to the web 30 November 2007
Garowe
Ethiopian army officers met with regional officials and clan elders in the central Somali town of Beletwein, capital of Hiran region, to persuade the Somalis to stop further attacks on the Ethiopian army base in the outskirts of town.
The base was attacked with mortars two nights ago by suspected insurgents, but no one was hurt, military sources said.
The Ethiopian commanders informed Hiran government officials and clan elders that the attacks on their base were planned in Beletwein.
During the Thursday meeting, held at government headquarters in Beletwein, local officials and elders were warned to stop further attacks, or risk the region being labeled a stronghold for insurgents waging war on Somalia's interim government and its Ethiopian military allies.
The army officers threatened to use heavy force to quell any attack on their positions, including the use of artillery shells to pound suspected insurgent areas.
The Ethiopian officers then abruptly left the meeting after informing the local officials and elders of their intentions, sources said.
Beletwein residents said Ethiopian soldiers walked throughout the town today as a show of force, with one resident suggesting that the Ethiopians wanted to see if they would be attacked.
On Monday, armed groups ambushed an Ethiopian army convoy as it drove near the border dividing Hiran and Galgadud regions. Two Ethiopian soldiers and two civilians were killed in the ensuing gunfight. [ Full story]
Suspected insurgents hiding out in parts of Hiran region are linked to rebels fighting the interim government in the capital, Mogadishu, where thousands of Ethiopian troops have failed to suppress the armed resistance.
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In recent months, Beletwein has seen the arrival of hundreds of families fleeing violence in Mogadishu. The families are scattered across several camps in town and live in dismal conditions.
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