2/18/2009
Hundreds of Ethiopian troops with fifty military vehicles recaptured the border town of Yeed in Bakol region in southwest Somalia on Wednesday morning, witnesses told Waagacusub Media - as the Ethiopian government earlier denied that its troops crossed the border into Somalia.
Residents said that the Ethiopian troops arrested several people from the town and taken them to unknown destination.
"The Ethiopians re-entered the village early this morning and they set up positions in and outside of the town, we don't why they came here," a local resident told Waagacusub.
The tension is high in Bakol region as the people began fleeing the town for possible attack from the Islamic insurgents in the region.
In other news, the Ethiopian government began arming some of former TFG militiamen at the border regions to fight against the new government led by moderate Sharif Sheik Ahmed.
Some of the government officials, that driven away out of Baidoa by the extremist group of Al-Shabab two ago, are now in Hudur town of Bakol region for regrouping to attack Baidao which was the seat of the Transitional Federal Government.
Ethiopia ended two years occupation and pulled out its troops from Mogadishu and other key town last month after peace deal reached in Djibouti between the Alliance for Re-liberation Somalia and Transitional Federal Government.
Source: Waagacusub Media
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SOMALIA: Islamist leader blames Ethiopia
2/19/2009
Mohamed Ibrahim Bilaal, one of Somali Islamist leaders, has blamed Thursday Ethiopia of creating chaos in Somalia, after Ethiopian troops re-entered in the country yesterday.
Eyewitnesses said Wednesday more Ethiopian troops with about 60 military vehicles entered in Rabdhuure district in Bakool region and Yeed Village in south west Somalia.
Locals said more civilians started fleeing from the towns that the Ethiopian troops entered, where they have reportedly arrested many people.
Mr. Bilaal said Ethiopia is an obstacle to Somali peace process. He added that clan elders have been mediating between al-Shabaab Islamists and government officials in Bakool region.
“Ethiopia is anti Somali peace and it is arming and training rebel militias to attack Somali regions again,” Bilaal said.
Ethiopia sent its troops to Somalia in 2006 to oust the Islamic Courts Union, but completely withdrew its troops from Somalia last month.
Ethiopia denied that its troops re-entered Somalia, but residents confirmed the returning of the Ethiopian soldiers.
It is not known why the Ethiopian troops have returned back to Somalia, but Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian prime minister, said on Friday that Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed could not give him guarantee that Somalia would not plunge into chaos.
Meles Zenawi admitted Ethiopia paid a high price for its military intervention in Somalia, both in terms of lives lost, as well as its battered international image. Human rights groups accused Ethiopian soldiers of repeated war crimes.
Islamist forces control Baidoa, the former seat of the transitional parliament, where the Ethiopian troops fled weeks ago after two years of unpopular occupation.
Source: Shabelle net
