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12 October 2006
The United States and Ethiopian governments have announced joint collaboration over intercepting terrorists probably attempting to seek safe haven in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and US Pentagon assistant defense secretary for African affairs Theresa Whelan have had a high-level meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, raising issues pertaining Somalia’s aggravating situation.
PM Zenawi said Ethiopia’s sketches on Somalia had always been based on enforcing the appropriate decisions passed by IGAD and AU, denying that any Ethiopian soldier was in the Somali territory.
US official Theresa Whelan praised Ethiopia for cooperating with the US ant-terrorism task forces based in Djibouti.
Whelan indicated that the purpose of her visit was an exchange of observations between the two countries, mentioning that in the past Ethiopia worked closely with US forces in Djibouti in rehabilitating the flood victims in Dir Dhawe.
Somalia’s Islamic Courts had numerous times criticized Ethiopia for illegally intervening Somalia militarily while Ethiopia denies the accusations.
Ethiopian prime minister’s adviser Baraket Simon said on Tuesday that Ethiopia does not unilaterally intend to invade Somalia’s Islamists, but added that it will if the Islamists endeavor to invade Ethiopia.
The Union of Islamic Courts is predominantly in charge of central and southern Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu.
The news came hours after the Somali cabinet ministers announced the approval of four types of fresh Somali passport that would cost $100 for the Somali citizens living inside the country and $150 for the Somalis living abroad.
The Somali federal government was formed in Kenya in 2004 after prolonged negotiations.
Aweys Osman Yusuf
Shabelle Media Network Somalia