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| Africa Horn |
| Eritrea: We can't supply Somali militants weapons |
| 2011-11-12 |
| NAIROBI, Kenya: Eritrea's ambassador to Kenya said Friday that there is no proof to back allegations that Eritrea supplied three planeloads of weapons to Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia being pursued by the Kenyan army. "Wudn't us." "Da witnesses is all dead!" Beyene Russom told The Associated Press that it would be impossible for the small, East Africa country to supply weapons because it is under a UN arms embargo and is being monitored by the US government and the UN. "We can't do that because it is a very complicated operation," Russom said. "We do not have the capacity to bring three planes in two days, crossing the airspace of Djibouti, crossing the Red Sea and entering the Indian Ocean and entering Somalia airspace, unloading and flying back in this highly militarized area." Remarkably detailed for something they couldn't possibly do... The US also has a military base in Djibouti, he said. Kenya sent hundreds of troops into Somalia last month to pursue Al-Shabab, the militants it blames for a string of kidnappings inside Kenya, which it says threaten the country's economy. Last week Kenya's foreign minister summoned Russom and raised concerns over the possibility that planes from Eritrea supplied militants with weapons. Russom said the latest accusations fit into a pattern of misinformation against his country which he blames on Ethiopia -- Eritrea's longtime foe. Shortly after he arrived in Kenya in February, Russom said his office was accused of channeling funds to Al-Shabab and using the ambassador's official car to ferry weapons. He said the accusations have not been proven despite his willingness to waive diplomatic immunity to allow investigations. The allegations were published in a report by a group of UN experts monitoring the arms embargoes on Eritrea and Somalia. The report also accused Eritrea of involvement in the July 2010 suicide attacks on people watching the World Cup final in Uganda's capital Kampala in which 76 people were killed, he said. Though, according to him, Uganda has never accused Eritrea of involvement. He said Eritrea does not object to Kenya's pursuit of Al-Shabab militants in Somalia, but Eritrea is concerned about what will happen to Somalia after Kenya withdraws. "Kenya has the opportunity to bring peace in Somalia, to bring all the Somalis together supported by the international community," he said. "Talking for two years is better than fighting for one day." Russom said the accusations that Eritrea is supporting Al-Shabab started after the country objected to Ethiopia's military invasion of Somalia in 2006 to fight the Islamic Courts Union. Russom said Eritrea wanted Somalis to find peace through discussions and compromise and that was its reason for opposing Ethiopia's invasion. He said Ethiopia sees a united Somalia as a threat because it is afraid the country will support ethnic Somali rebels in the Ogaden region in Ethiopia's south. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Hussein O doesn't assist Christian majority nations. Bow to allah the camel breeders fake deity, if you want his respect and aid. |
| Posted by: Flutle Cresh4623 2011-11-12 00:33 |