DATE=4/12/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-247945
TITLE=SOMALIA/ETHIOPIA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ADDIS ABABA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SOMALI FACTION LEADERS SAY ETHIOPIAN TROOPS HAVE ATTACKED
TWO SOMALI TOWNS. AS VOA'S SCOTT STEARNS REPORTS FROM ADDIS
ABABA, ETHIOPIA SAYS IT HAS ARRESTED WHAT IT TERMS "SOMALI
TERRORISTS," BUT SAYS ITS TROOPS HAVE NOT CROSSED THE BORDER.
TEXT: ETHIOPIA SAYS IT HAS CAPTURED SEVERAL SOMALI NATIONALS
TRYING TO ENTER THE COUNTRY CARRYING EXPLOSIVES. OFFICIALS SAY
THEY ARE INVESTIGATING WHO SENT THEM AND WHAT THEY WERE INTENDING
TO DO IN ETHIOPIA. BUT THE OFFICIALS DENY THAT ANY ETHIOPIAN
TROOPS HAVE CROSSED THE BORDER INTO SOMALIA.
RIVAL SOMALI FACTION LEADERS ALI MAHDI MOHAMED AND HUSSEIN AIDEED
BOTH ACCUSE ETHIOPIA OF INVADING THE COUNTRY. IN A LETTER TO THE
UNITED NATIONS, THEY SAY HEAVILY-ARMED ETHIOPIAN TROOPS ENTERED
THE TOWNS OF BULA HAWO AND DOLO LAST FRIDAY, TAKING OVER THE
LOCAL ADMINISTRATION AND DETAINING OFFICIALS.
THE SOMALI LEADERS WANT THE U-N AND THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN
UNITY TO INTERVENE AGAINST WHAT THEY CALL ETHIOPIAN AGGRESSION.
THEY SAY ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN TRYING TO DESTABILIZE SOMALIA SINCE
1996, DISTRIBUTING WEAPONS IN VIOLATION OF A U-N ARMS EMBARGO.
THERE IS PLENTY OF INSTABILITY IN SOMALIA, WHICH HAS BEEN WITHOUT
A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SINCE THE FALL OF MOHAMED SIAD BARRE IN
JANUARY 1991.
ETHIOPIA ATTACKED ISLAMIC MILITANTS ACROSS THE BORDER THREE YEARS
AGO. SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE BEEN USING LOCAL MAREHAN MILITIAMEN TO
FIGHT MEMBERS OF THE "AL-ITIHAD AL-ISLAMIA" GROUP, WHO ARE
SEEKING TO CAPTURE ETHIOPIA'S OGADEN REGION AND MAKE IT PART OF
SOMALIA.
ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN SELOME TADESSE SAYS ETHIOPIA HAS
NO INTEREST IN INVADING SOMALIA. "IF IT DID," SHE SAYS, "THERE
HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. IN
THE MIDDLE OF A COSTLY BORDER WAR WITH ERITREA, NOW IS NOT THE
BEST TIME FOR ETHIOPIA TO BE OPENING ANOTHER FRONT."
ETHIOPIA HAS SPONSORED A SERIES OF SOMALI PEACE TALKS OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS -- TALKS THAT MR. AIDEED HAS REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE.
WITH ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA BOTH LOOKING FOR ALLIES IN THEIR BORDER
WAR, POLITICAL OBSERVERS HERE SUGGEST ERITREA MAY BE USING SOMALI
MILITIAMEN TO PRESSURE ETHIOPIA IN MUCH THE SAME WAY ETHIOPIA IS
USING SUDAN AND DJIBOUTI TO PRESSURE ERITREA. (SIGNED)
NEB/SKS/PCF
12-Apr-99 9:26 AM EDT (1326 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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