Ethiopia pledge to fight Somali Islamists

July 24, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopian government has said that the Somali Islamic Courts had lost direction following infiltration by the Al-Itihad and al Qaeda operatives.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Information on 24 July, the Ethiopian government, however, clarified that it did not have the view that all members of the Islamic Courts Union belonged to fundamentalist groups, and hence was not ready to condemn them wholesale.

The statement noted these forces would not only cause chaos in Somalia, but were also a danger to the region as a whole, especially were they to collaborate with the “Eritrean forces of destruction”.

It said Ethiopia was ready to give the necessary cooperation to alleviate the plight of the Somali people and bring about the establishment of a government, but warned that it would not sit back and watch as the insecurity and unrest in Somalia spread to its territories.

“While Ethiopia wishes all these things to happen to Somalia, at the same time, it believes that it has to protect itself from fundamentalists spreading the problem to the neighbouring countries. Based on this, Ethiopia will make every effort to create favourable condition in the friendly and neighbouring Somalia and reduce the dangers of fundamentalism.”

Somalia’s Islamists whipped up religious fervor against Ethiopia on Monday, telling demonstrators God had commanded that they fight troops sent into the country by Addis Ababa to oppose their advance.

“We are telling Ethiopia that we are ready to die,” said Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, a senior Islamist in charge of defense.

The Islamist-organized protest came as a group of Somali legislators urged the Ethiopians to leave the country. It was the first recognition from within the Horn of Africa’s interim authorities of a military incursion by Addis Ababa.

(ST)