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Somalia: Islamists deploy hundreds of militiamen outside Baidoa
 (SomaliNet) The Islamic militiamen who now control the capital city Mogadisho and most of the southern regions, on Wednesday deployed hundreds of militiamen outside Baidoa where the interim government is based. The Islamists said that they planned to seize the town which, if they succeed, will give them uncontested power over Somalia and weaken the government further. Ethiopia was, however quick to offer support to the government saying should the Islamists attack then it (Ethiopia) would deploy its troops into the country. The government is too weak to defend itself at the moment. However,by nightfall on Wednesday, no attacks had occured. The Islamists are known not to fight at night. This has caused alot of tension in the country especially between the government and the Islamists after the government called off talks that were supposed to take place in Khartoum on Friday,last week. The US has accused the group of having links with Al-Qaeda operatives after the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Osama bin Laden called Somalia a front in his global war against the US and its allies. The Islamists have denied these accusations saying that they are fighting for one cause and that is to make Somalia a peaceful nation. The Islamists have denied that they are planning to seize control of Baidoa. An official of the group said that the troops were deployed there so that they would convince the president to establish sharia law in the country. "Our aim of going into the region is to convince the people in the region to implement Islamic law and establish Islamic courts," said Mohammed Ibrahim Bilal the head of the militia that seized control of Bur Haqaba region. Posted by: Fred 2006-07-21 |
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