VARIOUS: Ethiopian-backed troops advance on Somali capital Mogadishu as United Nations calls for an immediate halt in the fighting

Record ID: 474538

  • Title: VARIOUS: Ethiopian-backed troops advance on Somali capital Mogadishu as United Nations calls for an immediate halt in the fighting
  • Date: 27th December 2006
  • Summary: (W3) ETHIOPIA-ERITREA BORDER (FILE - 2000) (REUTERS) WIDE OF ETHIOPIAN ARTILLERY GUNS AT ETHIOPIA-ERITREA BORDER ETHIOPIAN TROOPS FIRING ARTILLERY GUN TOWARDS ERITREA ETHIOPIAN SOLDIER CHECKING DESTROYED ERITREAN TANK ON ROADSIDE
  • Embargoed: 11th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA437JEGKE5F7VUPAOQJ3PWAR5Y
  • Story Text: Ethiopian-backed troops advanced on the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday (December 27), as a U.N. envoy urged the Security Council to call for an immediate halt in the fighting or risk a broader conflict in the chaotic Horn of Africa.
    After a week of artillery and mortar duels between the two sides that spiralled into open war, Ethiopian-backed government troops continued to advance towards the Islamists' stronghold Mogadishu.
    Pro-government forces seized Jowhar on Wednesday (December 27), a key southern town from their Islamist rivals. Many residents left their houses to cheer the victors, backed by Ethiopian tanks, who pursued the Islamists as sporadic gunfire echoed in the air.
    The rapid offensive came hours after Ethiopia, defending the Somali interim government, said it was halfway to crushing the Islamists, heightening fears its next step would be to use air strikes and ground troops to seize the capital.
    "We have a mission to do. We have done more than half of our mission already. As soon as we complete the other half -- and it won't take us long -- we will be out of there so they won't have a target to fight against," said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Tuesday (December 26).
    Somalia's envoy to Ethiopia said the joint force planned to besiege the capital until the Islamists laid down their arms.
    The international community has been scrambling to deal with the war.
    "I can say that the U.N. Resolution has given a green light to Ethiopians to invade Somalia," said Ali Abdu, Eritrean Information Minister on Tuesday (December 26).
    Francois Lonseny Fall, special envoy for Somalia for the UN Secretary General warned the Security Council that failure to reach a political settlement could lead to a conflict that could have serious consequences for the whole region.
    "I would like to conclude my briefing by urging Council members to call on the two sides to halt the fighting immediately and not to take any further provocative actions," Lonseny told the the Security Council.
    But the 15-nation council was unable to reach agreement on such an appeal after Qatar, its sole Arab member, insisted the statement also call for the immediate withdrawal of Ethiopian forces -- as well as all other foreign forces -- from Somalia. The other council members backed a statement calling instead only for "unauthorized" forces to pull out, a phrase they argued would not apply to Ethiopian troops which were there at the invitation of the interim government.
    After more than three hours of negotiations, diplomats said the council was split 14 to one on the matter and suspended their efforts until Wednesday afternoon.
    The African Union (AU) called on Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia immediately.
    "We call for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops without delay," AU chairman Alpha Omar Konare said in a statement on Wednesday (December 27). "We appeal for urgent support for the transitional government and the withdrawal of all troops and foreign elements from Somalia."
    Konare urged Somalia's interim government and the Somalia Islamic Courts Union to end all hostilities and resume Arab League-sponsored peace talks that collapsed in Sudan last month. He said an AU-led mission planned to visit both sides in Somalia in the coming days.
    Ethiopia has proved more than a match for the Islamist fighters, who are driven by religious fervour but lack the MiG fighter jets and long experience of one of Africa's most effective armies.
    Even so, any Ethiopian-led offensive on Mogadishu, a city of two million people, is likely to be messy.
    The retreating Islamists appeared to be heeding a call by their senior leader, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, for forces to gather in Mogadishu to prepare for a long war against their Ethiopia.
    Analysts say a tactical retreat by the Islamists may draw Ethiopian soldiers further into Somalia and kick off a lengthy guerrilla campaign on the Islamists' home turf.
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