Let the rest of Afrika take notice and follow suit!

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalian government and Ethiopian troops advanced toward the country’s capital Tuesday as Islamic fighters retreated, bloodied by a week of artillery and mortar attacks but promising a “new phase� in the war, a chilling pronouncement from a movement that has threatened suicide attacks.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he had been given unconfirmed reports that as many as 1,000 people had died and 3,000 were wounded.
“Some of them are Somalis, but a very significant proportion of them are not Somalis,� Meles told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, referring to foreign Islamic radicals who have reportedly joined the fighting.
Meles said his forces, which entered Somalia in large numbers Saturday, have completed about half their mission.
“As soon as we have accomplished our mission, and about half of our mission is done, and the rest shouldn’t take long, we’ll be out,� Meles said. He said there are only 3,000 to 4,000 Ethiopian troops in Somalia “but no more.�
Ethiopia sent fighter jets across the border Sunday to help Somalia’s UN-recognized government push back the Islamists. Ethiopia bombed the country’s two main airports and helped government forces capture several villages.
Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, a senior leader of the Islamic group, said he asked his troops to tactically retreat in the face of superior Ethiopian firepower.
“The war is entering a new phase,� Ahmed said from Mogadishu. “We will fight Ethiopia for a long, long time and we expect the war to go everyplace.�
Ahmed declined to elaborate, but some Islamic leaders have threatened a guerrilla war to include suicide bombings in Addis Ababa. While the Islamic militias may be in retreat now, it is unclear whether they will regroup for a counterattack, or switch to hit-and-run tactics the government and Ethiopian troops will have difficulty defending against.

This is going to drag the whole region into it, if it continues much more longer. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan with both governments in Sudan supporting two different sides one with the islamist and the other standing behind Ethiopia as it pursues the islamists. Uganda and Kenya wanted to send troop for peace-keeping mission as part of IGAD ( Inter Governmental Authority on Development) the regional East and Horn of Africa organization.

The loosers will sadly be the Somali people. Already the African Union (AU) said that Ethiopia has the "right to intervene militarily in Somalia as it is defending itself", this according to the AU.

Wad up guys......

Good one Vubundada_Kandaba, I too think the loosers will be the Somalis and Ethiopian Soldiers sent to Somalia to support the TFG(The weak Federal Government). The Somali people, thanks to their blind loyalty to clan affiliation in 16 years, have paid enough price for the continued civil war engineered and manipulated by those who are for civil unrest in the nation. This is the time for IGAD to show some leadership and start deploying AU troops to Somalia.

This won't destabilize anybody the ethiopians are simplyfighting one sub clan militia from somalia. Even against that they had to resort to aerial bombardement.As i said in the other thread the power of the islamic courts union was highly exaggerated for propoganda purposes.

@Pele the african union like the arab league has no power. I also said that the whole "peacekeeping" thing was a complete bluff for an ethiopian invasion sanctioned by the United States of America.@

@Hathurohop the groups who are competing for power in somalia are all muslims and some are playing different cards. Some are supporting the islamic courts simply because they belong to their tribe whilst other oppose them.Ethiopia is skillfully manipulating this, with talk of thousands of oromo, ereterian andblue eyed irish mujahideen.But your dead skull probably doesn't know anything about somalia, but keep on playing the cocerned pan africanists.Like i said last time, once a fraud always a fraud.You may fool the other people on this forum but you won't fool me.



In a talk with reporters, acting State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos urged restraint by Ethiopia and a resumption of peace talks between the transitional administration and the Islamic Courts movement.

He said, "Ethiopia has genuine security concerns with regard to developments in Somalia and has provided support at the request of the legitimate governing authority, the Transitional Federal institutions."

"We, the U.S., have urged, and continue to urge the Ethiopian government to exercise maximum restraint in intervening or responding to developments in Somalia and to assure the protection of civilians. However no Somali party should use external actors as an excuse to avoid further dialogue," he continued.

East_African....Long time no talk.......Hope life is going great......

For me what I fear the most is that this will start a bigger war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Thus, bringing other groups Oromos and Somalis from Ethiopia all getting to fight their expected conflicts in Somalia, which after 16years we cannot take it and don't need. As many here know, I dislike the AU than anyone here, even so much, that I even don't see why it exists. And don't even mention Arab League. I'm 100% for regional countries solving their own problems. Having Ugandan and Sudanese troops could have atleast prevented this death, while keeping Kenyans and Ethopiansout.Now,distruction for the long sufferingnation ofSomalia. How sad...!

I think you're right, but Afrikan people have to stand up to these Islamists or the suffering will last for many more decades.

The AU's military is kind of disappointing. I don't think they will go to Somalia and even if they did, they will do as much good as they are doing in Darfur.

HatHaruhotep........I don't know how much your aware of Somali clan politics or conflict, but the Islamists aren't what your thinking. Not those in Iraq nor Afganistan, or any other fanatics around the world. As east wrote, more loyal to clan, very secular than they are shown, want power than religious revolution. They made dear mistake to declare war with the TFG and Ethiopia while they knew they will not get the support of large portion of Somalis, and could not face large military. This is more proxy war in the Horn than Islamists waras is shown.

Thanks Pele.

The fact still stands that these clans' behavior is fueled by violent, fanatical islamism. They use their arab religion as an impetus, an excuse, and even as a roadmap to attacking other Afrikan people.

I could be wrong but I don't think Eritrea is going to get into this.

I have to disagree with you on that. The same soldiers fighting for so called Islamists were the same people who waged the tribal war in Somalia. All suddenly they are Islamists, not really. They are the same people who had road blocks around cities, the same people who robbed and killed many of their own brothers, the same people who took money and weapons from Eastern-European nations to fuel the war in Somalia, these are the same soldiers who destroyed Somalia and had nothing to do with Islamic behavior. They say they are Islamists to get support which doesn't seem they are getting now. I 2 was for them after they have taken the country, I was very pleased that they get rid of the warlords who held the nation in state of hell, but they didn't use their new found power, and ultimately made the wrong choice by going to war with the TFG. Young Somalis and Ethiopean soldierspaid a heavy price for this error. I never in my younger life ever thought Ethiopean soldiers will ever sit foot in Somalia, but due to this mistake now that's what happened. They knew fighting Ak47 will not be match for tanks and fighter jets. What they needed was to deal with the weak government and hold the the lands they have already taken from the war-lord rats who hold the nation in chains.

Plus, Eritrea is already involved, they are supporting some groups in Somalia( I say some, because they are also supporting other groups, who aren't loyal to the courts), but due to political stage at the moment and other actions that Ethiopia may take have to deny it. Lets hope the war stops and peacefully they settle their differences.

Are there any AU trooops in the region?

This won't destabilize anybody the ethiopians are simplyfighting one sub clan militia from somalia

@Pele, This what i said all along, the power of the so called islamic courts was highly exaggerated. Where is the regional war?Muqdisho is being looted rightand the t.f.g will take it over soon. This was was never about religion...... although it may have played a role in it. It was always about the "O WORD" ethiopians and somali willl know what this word means.Zenawi is a clever, ruthless and calculated man, he knew he could never accept any Oromo Liberation/Ogadenia Movements operating from somalia, especially a port like Kismayo.He as a former rebel leader from Somalia know this very well.