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Somalia: Islamist Leader Blames Ethiopia
19 February 2009
Mogadishu — 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.
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