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| Africa Horn |
| Official Says Ethiopian Troops Back in Somalia |
| 2009-06-16 |
| A local official in Somalia says Ethiopian troops are now staying at a military base near a town in the central part of the country. The reported sighting of Ethiopian troops in central Somalia is just one of several from around the country. In an interview with local reporters, the district commissioner of Balanbale town in the central Galgadud region says several truck loads of Ethiopian troops are staying at the military base set up on the outskirts of the town. District Commissioner Hareere Hassan Barre did not say how many Ethiopian troops were in Balanbale, located about 28 kilometers from the Ethiopian border, but his comments appear to back up other eyewitness reports. Barre said the soldiers began arriving there on Friday and have set up a military camp in the western part of town. The Somali official says an Ethiopian commander explained that the troops have been sent to Balanbale for security reasons, not to re-occupy the town. Barre says their presence appears to be related to heightened al-Shabab activities in central Somalia in recent weeks. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 At least part of the country will have relative peace and stability so long as the mighty AEthiops remain encamped. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-06-16 21:39 |