Ethiopia hints conditional return to Somalia

By Tesfa-alem Tekle

July 1,2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — Despite declaration of war by Somalia’s hard-line Islamist insurgent group, Ethiopia on Wednesday said that it won’t re-send its troops to neighboring Somalia for an “empty threat” by jihadists.

“Al Shebab has once again declared a clear war on Ethiopia” the government communication minister Bereket Simon said at a press conference held in Addis Ababa.

“We cannot say this is a clear and present danger to Ethiopia at this point.” He said adding unless there is an imminent danger posed at its soil; Ethiopia will patiently wait and take a close follow up from its borders to events and movements of the radical group.”

The Ethiopian official, Bereket, believes that the Somalia “jihadists” at this point can’t pose big threat to national security, as they have their hands full trying to capture the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

After repeated reports that Ethiopian troops were back in the ravaged horn of Africa nation, Al Qaeda-linked Somalia fighters, Al-Shebab ,who are battling to oust President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, on Tuesday, waged jihad against Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has repeatedly rejected reports that its troops are moving back into Somalia. This is what Bereket reaffirmed once again.

“We are within our borders,” he said. “We are continuously monitoring and following the situation. So for monitoring purposes, within the vicinity of our boundaries, we might move here and there, nonetheless, we have no operational army in Somalia, and we will not have.”

Ethiopian send troops to Somalia in 2006 to oust an Islamist movement from the capital Mogadishu on plans to restore the transitional government to power in Mogadishu and also to curb threats posed to its national security. It withdrew earlier this year after what it says was a successful mission accomplished.

With reports of foreign jihadists streaming into Somalia, Western nations and Somalia’s neighbors worry that if the rebels succeed in toppling the internationally backed Ahmed Sharif’s government, the Horn of Africa nation will become a safe haven for al Qaeda training camps and hard-line Islamists will destabilize the region.

(ST)