Wednesday, October 25, 2006
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MOGADISHU, Somalia Witnesses saw Somali transitional government forces, with help from Ethiopian soldiers, digging trenches at the entrance of the government's base in southern Somalia Wednesday in anticipation of a possible attack by their Islamic rivals.
Speaking to HornAfrik Radio Wednesday, a top Islamic courts official, Hassan Turki, said that they plan to attack Baidoa, the base of the transitional government. He did not give details, only saying that the Islamic courts intends to expand the territory it controls.
Over the past five months the Islamic courts have seized control of much of southern Somalia.
"My colleagues always hide something, but I want to make it clear that we will attack Baidoa and many other areas because our aim is to implement Islamic rule throughout Somalia," he told the station. "We will go to (the north eastern region of) Puntland and (the northern breakaway region of) Somaliland."
The Islamic movement has seized much of southern Somalia, including the capital, since June.
Another Islamic courts official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said they plan to attack Baidoa within the next 48 hours. But Abdirahman Janaqow, another top Islamic courts official, said that they had no plans to attack Baidoa.
Thousands of fighters from both sides are reported to be within striking distance of each other.
The government forces have taken defensive positions 18 kilometers (11 miles) outside Baidoa, the only town in southern Somalia the government controls. Islamic militiamen have moved within the past 24 hours to Mooda-moode, 12 kilometers (8 miles) outside Baidoa, Gedow Awale Golade, a businessmen in the region said.
Omar Abdullahi Hassan and Safiyaya Abdu-qadir Hassan, businessmen who traveled on a minivan to Baidoa, told The Associated Press that they saw the government and Ethiopian troops digging trenches at about 8:30 early Wednesday.
Somalia has not had an effective national government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another, throwing the country into anarchy.
The transitional government was formed in 2004 with U.N. help in hopes of restoring order after years of bloodshed in Somalia, but it has been unable to assert its authority beyond Baido
Source: AP, Oct. 25, 2006