SOMALIA / ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Prime Minister warns of "clear and present danger" of Somalian jihad

Ethiopia said on Saturday (November 25) that it did not need the blessing of major ally, the United States, or any country to defend itself from any threat from neighbouring Somalia where Islamists have launched a holy war. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi pledged to explore all means to peacefully resolve the bitter standoff between his country, which backs the interim government in Somalia, and the Islamists, who control much of southern Somalia. The Islamists have declared jihad against Ethiopia, accusing it of sending troops into Somalia to prop up the government. Zenawi warned that they represented a "clear and present" danger. "On Thursday I underlined the fact that Ethiopia is already under attack by the Jihad leadership of the Union of Islamic Courts. I did outline the reasons for our characterisation of the threat posed by the Islamist, by the Jihadist leadership as a clear and present one," he told a news conference. He said the Islamists had trained, armed and smuggled hundreds of Ethiopian rebels into the country. "Jihadists continue to expand the area of their military presence to border regions of Ethiopia, you might have heard in recent days they have occupied the small town of Adwak right on the border between Ethiopia and Somalia. Nevertheless, as I said in my report to parliament, we are not yet convinced that all peaceful options have been exhausted." Meles was speaking two days after appearing in parliament to urge lawmakers to back plans to fight the Somali Islamists, although he has refrained from declaring war on them. Security experts say Ethiopia has been massing troops and preparing for war against the Islamists. Senior Islamist Sheikh Sharif Ahmed responded to the comments, accusing Ethiopia of preparing for war and Washington of giving Ethiopia the go-ahead to fight his movement. The group also issued a 10-point communique on Saturday which called for the Islamists and the interim government to resume talks in Sudan's capital Khartoum next month. Talks between the two sides collapsed in October, with the Islamists saying they would not negotiate unless Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia. Thousands of Somalis took to the streets declaring jihad against the Ethiopian troops in the country.

ITN Source | November 25, 2006

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