No sign of Ethiopian incursion into Somalia – US
June 21, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — The US said Tuesday it had seen no signs of an Ethiopian incursion into Somali territory but made a new plea for the two sides not to “inflame” tensions in the region.
The US State Department made its comment after the Islamic alliance in control of key areas of Somalia on Monday called for world powers to pressure Ethiopia to withdraw troops from Somali territory.
“We’ve seen the reports of Ethiopian troop movements on the border,” said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli.
“We’ve talked to the Ethiopian government about it. We’ve seen no evidence of incursions,” Ereli added.
“We think that all parties in the region need to act responsibly and not take steps to further destabilize or inflame the situation.”
Islamic clerics in Somalia said several hundred Ethiopian troops had crossed into Somalia at the weekend and were moving toward the headquarters of the Somali transitional government in Baidoa, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the capital.
“Our take is that we’re not supporting anybody going into Somalia,” said the US spokesman, adding that Washington was “not aware that the Ethiopians have done that”.
Ereli said “our position is that incursions into Somalia are not a good idea. We have been engaged with the international community in trying to promote reconciliation and peace and strengthening of governmental institutions in Somalia.”
The United States has given financial backing to the warlord alliance that fought Islamic forces for control of the Somali capital.
(ST)