Somali Islamists laud reported Ethiopian incursionNovember 20, 2011Somali Islamists laud reported Ethiopian incursion
ReutersMOGADISHU (Reuters) - Al Shabaab militants on Sunday welcomed a reported incursion by hundreds of troops from neighboring Ethiopia as a sign that Kenya's offensive against the Islamist rebels was failing.
Underliningthat it was pursuing the offensive, the Kenyan military said warplanesbacked by salvoes from warships off Somalia's coast destroyed an alShabaab training camp in Hola Wajerer/Lacta area of the Babade district.
Butthe Kenyan assault on al Shabaab appears to have slowed with itsmilitary blaming heavy rains and mud. Al Shabaab claim successfulguerrilla-style attacks have halted the advance.
Scores ofEthiopian military vehicles, ferrying troops and weapons, pushed atleast 80 km (50 miles) into Somalia on Saturday, according to localresidents and elders, crossing into the center of the near lawlesscountry from Ethiopia and traveling through Kenya to reach its south.
Ethiopia on Sunday continued to publicly deny that any of its forces had entered its Horn of Africa neighbor.
Residentsand elders witnessed the convoys and identified them to Reuters asEthiopian. Al Shabaab also reported the presence of Ethiopian forces inseveral towns.
An Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman said nodecision had yet been made on whether to support the Kenyan army, whoentered Somalia five weeks ago vowing to wipe out al Shabaab, who itblames for kidnapping and attacking tourists on its soil.
"We are glad to say Ethiopian troops are in the Guriel area - they have come because AMISOM and Kenya have failed in the fight against al Shabaab," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, an al Shabaab spokesman, told Reuters.
AMISOM is an African Union force of Ugandanand Burundian troops that has been largely responsible for keeping alShabaab from ousting Somalia's internationally-backed but weakgovernment.
It was unclear what the intentions of the Ethiopianswere. Some local elders said they would fight al Shabaab and others thatthey will arm and train militias loyal to the government.
AnEthiopian presence in Somalia is potentially politically sensitive aftermany bloody episodes -- and previous incursions -- between the two Hornof Africa nations.
The last time Ethiopia entered Somalia was in December 2006, with tacit U.S.backing and at the invitation of a government that had lost control ofthe capital Mogadishu and large swathes of the country to anotherIslamist group.
"SOMALIA NOT A PLACE TO COME AND ENJOY"
TheEthiopians left Somalia in early 2009 after ousting that group butdogged by accusations that their presence -- hugely unpopular withSomalis -- was inspiring support for militias such as al Shabaab whowere not as powerful at that time.
"Al Shabaab and the Ethiopiansknow each other. We made them pull out with their dead bodies two yearsago. They plan to ease the burden on Kenya and AMISOM but we are reallydetermined to fight them," Abu Musab said.
"Somalia is not a cool place to come and enjoy."
Sunday's air strike was the first of any note since the early days of Kenya's intervention.
Kenya denied claims from al Shabaab that it had sunk a Kenyan navy vessel on Sunday.
Policein Dadaab refugee camp, a target of previous attacks by al Shabaab,said they had found an unexploded improvised explosive device on Sundaythat had been hidden at the side of a road regularly used by United Nations aid workers.
Senior Kenyan government ministers have shuttled around east Africathis week and gone to the Gulf to drum up political and financialsupport for a more coordinated campaign to rout the rebels in a countrynotoriously tough for foreign armies.
Some analysts say Ethiopiamay want to take advantage of al Shabaab's withdrawal from Mogadishu inAugust to wipe out a group it sees as a threat to its stability.
TheEthiopian foreign ministry spokesman said a final decision on whetherto join the assault against al Shabaab in some form would be taken nextFriday.
"East African heads of state will meet on Friday todiscuss ways of stabilizing Somalia and one plan is to boost the numberof AMISOM troops from both neighboring countries and other Africannations," Dina Mufti told Reuters.
When asked if Addis Ababa would agree to a request for troops he said: "Ethiopia supports Kenya's efforts and is very much part of the total initiative."
(Writing by Barry Malone; Additional reporting by Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
source:
https://www.realclearworld.com/news/reuters/international/2011/Nov/20/somali_islamists_laud_reported_ethiopian_incursion.html