Ethiopian helicopters and tanks bombard Somali Islamists’ base
Civilians urged to stay home

By Faysal Mohamed

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- The forces of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the Ethiopian troops who helped them defeat powerful Islamists last year attacked the strongholds of Islamist insurgents in Mogadishu.
Helicopters and tanks bombed rebel positions across Mogadishu in what appeared to be a cleanup operation aimed to end the insurgency to pave the way for the upcoming national reconciliation Conference. Ten people were killed and 50 others were wounded in the fighting, but more details are yet to be known as the fighting still continues.

However, the government of Somalia immediately declared victory over the remnants of the UIC who were hiding in Mogadishu and carrying out terror attacks.

Mohamed Mohamoud Ga’madhere, Somali Interior Minister, said that his government now controls the entire region of Mogadishu saying that they would overcome the insurgency and end the fighting in a few hours. “The fighting that started today [Thursday April 29] is part of security measures taken by the TFG to secure Mogadishu, and it is happening as scheduled,” Mohamoud said.
Mohamoud also said that government forces have dispersed the rebels out of Mogadishu and their whereabouts are not known. He urged civilians to remain in their homes until the operations end, fearing for their survival as many civilians were killed by stray bullets.

Since the Islamists’ half-year rule was terminated in December last year, Insurgents carried out almost daily attacks against the transitional government and civilians were killed in these indiscriminate attacks. Most of the leaders of the ousted UIC, are said to have fled to countries like Djibouti, Eritrea, the Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Syria.

The Insurgency intensified in recent weeks when the interim Government announced the deadline of the national reconciliation conference as the 16th of April. The international terrorist network, Al qaeda also called for further insurgency against the TFG, the Ethiopian Troops as well as the AU troops in Mogadishu, which underscored the link between the ousted UIC and the terrorist body.

Meanwhile in Addis Ababa Ethiopian Prime minister Meles Zenawi reaffirmed his government’s commitment towards stabilizing Somalia to the end. “If the instability of Somalia further deteriorates, next to the people of Somalia, Ethiopia will be the one to suffer most so will need to continue giving support”, said Meles.
“We have an obligation to support the peace process to the extreme that our capacity allows weather it is political or training their defense,” Meles said.
However, opposition parties in the parliament insisted that Ethiopian force leave Somalia saying the involvement so far has been enough.

“We no more have the capacity or responsibility to stay in Somalia. We should leave the rest to the people of Somalia,” professor Beyene representative of United Ethiopia Democratic Front (UEDF) party said.
Indicating that Ethiopian does not intend to keep its defense force in Somalia for much longer nor does it intend to participate in any peacekeeping activity, Meles said the defense forces would return to their country as promptly as possible when they complete their mission of combating the extremists.
“Two third of the defense force deployed in Somalia has already returned home in two phases which proves that our intention was intended to solve the danger paused by the extremists,” he said.

Meles also blamed the Eritrean regime for not taking sufficient lesson from defeat in Somalia and change its strategy of destruction by continuing its effort of using anti-peace elements.
According to Meles, Eritrea is involved in anti-peace activities not because of the border demarcation process, but out of the need not to see Ethiopia developing economically.