Somali rebels warn Ethiopia against military intervention

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 28, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – Somalia’s al-Shabaab group warned Ethiopia to refrain from any attempts of military intervention or face grave consequences.

The warning comes after reports last week that hundreds of troops Ethiopian troops had crossed into southern and central Somalia to help weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG) fight al-Shabaab.

The statement released by the radical group said that any new military operations by Ethiopia will lead to heavy loss of life among its soldiers.

“This intervention will not be different than that of yesterday and will lead to heavy loss of your soldiers’ lives, and be assured that ahead of you is painful death and ruthless imprisonment which will impact on the good living standards you wished for,” the statement said.

“The path you are taking today is the same that led you yesterday to taste death, the pain of bullets and the hardships of war.”

In an extraordinary summit held in Addis Ababa on Friday, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) called on Ethiopia to support the Kenyan and Somalia joint security operation against the extremist group.

Last month, Kenya launched military operations against al-Shabaab, after Kenya accused the group of a series of kidnappings and cross-border attacks.

Ethiopia previously sent troops to Somalia in 2006 with US backing and withdrew forces in 2009 after they overthrew the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) from de facto power in Mogadishu.

(ST)

Article source: http://www.sudantribune.com/Somali-rebels-warn-Ethiopia,40855