Ethiopians 'warn' villagers

10/12/2006 - (SA)

Mogadishu - An unknown number of Ethiopian troops crossed into Somalia with 24 armoured military vehicles on Sunday and went to two border villages, asking the villagers to move to the Ethiopian side for security reasons, said a resident.
"The troops apparently... arrived here at 10:00 and immediately asked the local residents of Sariirale and Baragaha villages to move away for security reasons," said Mumin Moalin Yusuf, a radio operator in one of the villages.
The reason for the Ethiopian troops' request was unknown.
Ethiopia has consistently denied it has forces in Somalia, but their presence has been widely reported by witnesses and journalists.
Ethiopia has said it has a few hundred military advisers in Somalia, helping the transitional government form a national army.
At least 15 killed
Meanwhile, clashes at a southern Somalia front line between the transitional government and the council of Islamic courts apparently have stopped.
Government troops backed by Ethiopian troops and Islamic militia fought at two villages on Friday and Saturday, and at least 15 people were killed and 18 others wounded, said witnesses.
Qadra Abdi Aden, a fuel-seller in Safarnoolees village where the rivals fought on Friday, said villagers were not confident they had seen the last of the fighting.
Movement of military personnel
"Everything is calm today (Sunday)," said Aden. "The fighting can restart at any moment because the rival troops are only 5km apart."
The villages where the fighting took place are about 80km southwest of the transitional government's base, Baidoa.
Residents of Baidoa, which is 250km northwest of the capital, Mogadishu, said there had been increased movement of military personnel in the town between Friday and Saturday, raising tension.

News24