Somali Islamists, Eritrea threaten regional security – Ethiopia’s PM

June 27, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Tuesday accused arch-foe Eritrea and Somali Islamists of destabilizing the Horn of Africa and warned his country would defend itself against any threat.

Meles told a news conference in Addis Ababa that Ethiopia had no immediate security fears from Eritrea or Somalia’s Islamic courts but said Addis Ababa would counter any potentially hostile moves by either Asmara or extremist elements in Mogadishu.

“We reserve the right to defend ourselves against all attempts to destabilize our security and stability,” he said after Ethiopian officials claimed security forces had killed 111 rebels from Eritrea this month.

Meles played down the possible danger from the alleged rebels but blamed Eritrea for fomenting unrest in Ethiopia by supporting them and Islamists in neighboring Somalia, who are accused of harboring Al-Qaeda terrorists.

“Eritrea, in its endeavours to destabilize the region, not only ships armaments, but also supports other activities,” he said, referring to charges Asmara has violated a UN weapons embargo by arming Islamic militia in Somalia.

“The Islamic courts are people of desperation,” Meles told reporters. “It is a group of desperates, the Eritrean regime’s policy … uses these opportunities to destabilize the region.”

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bloody 1998-2000 war over their common border and tensions have remained high between the nations, with Asmara accusing Addis Ababa of violating a peace deal by rejecting a binding new delineation.

A team of UN experts last month reported allegations that Eritrea was arming the Somali Islamists in a bid to further harrass Ethiopia, a largely Orthodox country that has deep concerns about a rise of radical Islam on its borders.

Eritrea has denied the UN charges.

Mogadishu’s Islamic courts union seized control of the capital on June 5 from a US-backed warlord alliance that many also believe was supported by Ethiopia.

Gunmen loyal to the courts have since expanded their control over much of central Somalia, vowing to impose sharia law and fuelling fears of a Taliban-like takeover of the anarchic nation.

Meles said Ethiopia, which has a large, sometimes restive minority Muslim population and has fought Islamic militia before in neighboring Somalia, had boosted military deployments along its frontier with the country.

“We have beefed up our defenses all along the border to prevent any threat to our security that might emanate from the resurgent jihadists in Mogadishu,” he said. “We are watching every moment.”

Meles repeated denials of Islamist allegations that Ethiopia had already sent troops into Somalia but suggested such a step was possible if the Islamic militia crossed a line that threatened Addis Ababa.

“At the moment, they are not a clear and present danger to us, they may become so if they cross a line,” he said. “They know that line, we know that line, so far they have not crossed it, therefore there is no need to act.

“We are simply watching developments in Somalia carefully, patiently in the hope that there won’t be any need for us to act,” Meles said.

(ST)