Garowe Online (Garowe)
Yusuf Ali
7 February 2008
The presence of the Ethiopian army inside Somalia remains the single most contentious issue in the country's chaotic political landscape, nearly fourteen months after their arrival.
Four unidentified bodies were found Thursday morning in the national capital Mogadishu, following a deadly insurgent attack on a police station in Hodan district last night.
All four victims were attired in civilian clothing, according to witnesses. But Hodan locals could not identify them.
Some reports suggested the dead victims were insurgents, while other reports said the victims were innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
Since December 2006, thousands of innocent civilians have been caught in the crossfire between allied Somali-Ethiopian government troops and various insurgent groups, with the hardline Islamist militia known as al Shabaab at the forefront of the war.
The Somali transitional federal government (TFG) contends that the Ethiopian army is in the country legally, because an internationally recognized government requested their presence.
Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein, who is currently visiting Ethiopia, told reporters on Thursday that Ethiopian troops will leave Somalia only when the TFG asks them to leave.
"Everyone knows that Ethiopian troops in Somalia are performing duties under orders, but they cannot do as they wish," Prime Minister Nur Adde said, adding that the Ethiopians' withdrawal is dependent on Somalia attaining real peace.
He repeated his appeals for peace talks with "armed and unarmed opposition," stating that all Somalis have rights in the country.
Prof. Ibrahim Addow, formerly foreign secretary under the Islamic Courts movement, told Al Jazeera he welcomes Prime Minister Nur Adde's peace initiative, but that nothing has changed vis-a-vis the Islamists' position.
"The problem in Somalia can end only when Ethiopian troops leave the whole country [Somalia]," Addow said, adding: "Then we can hold peace talks to end Somalia's conflicts among Somalis."
During the interview, Addow covered the Islamic Courts' brief rule in southern and central Somalia between June and December 2006. He praised the Courts' efforts for bringing back law and order in the country, for holding three rounds of peace talks with the TFG in Khartoum, Sudan, and for showing the world that all hope is not lost in Somalia.
He also dismissed any alleged links between the Islamic Courts and international terror groups, an allegation often repeated by Somali, Ethiopian and American government officials.
Political divisions among Somalia's current class of leaders are expressed through day-to-day violence, such as the gruesome finding of four unidentified dead bodies.
Al Shabaab guerrillas and like-minded groups will stop at nothing short of expelling the "Ethiopian invaders" from Somalia, while the TFG will always happily sit in the shadow of its "Ethiopian friends."
There is little doubt that the Islamic Courts movement did a remarkable job in securing Mogadishu from the tyrannical rule of merciless warlords, many of whom now hold senior positions in the TFG.
But there is a huge question mark over the possibility of the TFG and its "Ethiopian friends" taming Mogadishu, a city with the unfavorable label of being the world's most chaotic capital.
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Hi, Collegues
somalia is and will remain soverign country and ethopian troops come to the request of TFG, but the Question is what about if the somalis (TFG and ICU ) agree on timetable for the Eithopian withdrawl ( Mandate of Withdrawl) as requested by the Moderate Islamic courts Leader ( Sheikh Sharif)?
my be all of us assume that the answer is that the situation will be better and we might have a lasting peace.
that is not on the table right now, in my perspective the Militant wing of ICU ( Alshabab) psych is too difficult to… [Read Full Text]
ETHIOPIA: "Eight million need assistance, 07 Feb 2008 12:09:50 GMT Source: IRIN
NAIROBI, 7 February 2008 (IRIN) - Ethiopia experienced a record harvest during the meher season that runs from June and October but pockets of poor food production across the country have still left millions of people needing food assistance, according to a food security update.
Citing the Somali region in particular, the update issued by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) on 6 February stated that poor rains during the deyr season, from October to November, exacerbated extreme food insecurity in parts of the… [Read Full Text]
Whoever thought that Somalis would wellcome the invading Ethiopians with roses, must have also thought that Iraqis would do the same with the invading Marines. But the sad truth is neither has came true. The christian dominated Ethiopia is and has always been the arch enemy of somalis and this will not likely to change any time soon. This is becouse of two reason. But what is most dangerous in Zenawis adventure is NOT sending his army to Mogadisho but rather how he distort the make up of Ethiopia. In his recent Interview with The Guardian, Zenawi identified Ethiopia as… [Read Full Text]
Well said i could not agree with you any more ethiopia was trying to invade somalia more than 3000 years and the only people who fight and defend were the somali people. as the history tell us ethiopia can't face in a war with the somalis unless Ethiopia get help from the christian countries. the somali people will unite and kick the invaders out of their country
Ahmed eegge
to be honest with you we,ethiopia are not interesting about your country. i am sure that you have the right to solve your country problem by yourself and you have the capacity to do it. for me still it does not clear why our soldiers stay in your country. i, with my family and most of our country people do not like the interference of our country poletical leader. for your information, we are pushing the government to take out our soldiers. we are close neighbours and hoping that we will do it for the future,too.i do assure you that… [Read Full Text]
Ahmed eegge, hahhaah. you are traying to convience us that ethiopia coundn't invade somalia unless other christian countries support it. Well said, haahhah. Please read the book you have read again. There is no even a single book which support your argument. Anyhow, we are in somali and assaign who ever can be spy for us as government official, ahhaahah. We are kicking your ass and administer you by an "invisible hands". And we will continue doing it. Ahmed,if you have a capacity to make as withdrow from somali try it and you will get your reward including bonus. Do… [Read Full Text]
Many countries who were invaded by western colonozers (like Britain and France) had been liberated dozens of years ago. It is surprising that Ethiopia, one of the poorest conutries on earth, has been successful to colonoze Somalia. It is surprising that the so called TFG is assisting Ethiopia to colonize its own country. I havenot heard the existence of any government of that type. This is not a real government rather it is an absolute pubbet of Meles Zenawi. I am an Ethiopian , but I don't support such unfair occupation of others country. By the way Ethiopia not only… [Read Full Text]
Somalia is a sovereign state. As such,there is need for that status quo to remain.When the Ethiopians came, initially,it was for the purpose of restoring order in that country.It must be remembered that Somalia has had no central government since the overthrow of the last dictator Muhammad Siad Barre in 1991.If the purpose for going to Somalia has been achieved, then there is no need for the Ethiopian army to continue staying on in Somalia.But if,in the Somali governments view that purpose has not been achieved, then there should a timetable for the orderly evacuation of the Ethiopian army as… [Read Full Text]