Eritrea warns of "consequences" for U.S. in Somalia

reuters ^ | 12 Jan 2007

[Mount Athos]

Eritrea warned the United States on Friday that its involvement in Somalia would "incur dangerous consequences" following a U.S. air strike in the Horn of Africa nation targeting al Qaeda suspects.

Eritrea has in a matter of years gone from being a U.S. ally to one of its staunchest opponents, analysts say, because of what Asmara perceives as Washington's support for rival Ethiopia in a long-standing border dispute.

"President Isaias Afwerki underlined that the turmoil being created in ... Somalia by the U.S. administration through its mercenary agent (Ethiopia) would incur dangerous consequences," a statement on the Information Ministry Web site said.

A senior U.S. official said Monday's air strike on Somalia killed up to 10 al Qaeda-affiliated "terrorists", but three of the most wanted suspects survived in the first overt U.S. military action since a peacekeeping mission ended in 1994.

The Eritrean government recently accused Washington of being behind the war in Somalia where the interim government backed by Ethiopia routed the once-powerful Islamists in a two-week war.

Asmara has repeatedly denied Ethiopian allegations it sent thousands of Eritrean soldiers to fight alongside the Islamists. Western nations have accused Eritrea of using Somalia as a proxy battleground against neighbour Ethiopia.

The Horn of African countries fought a 1998-2000 border war, which killed an estimated 70,000 people.

The Eritrean Information Ministry statement said Isaias called on the international community to take "serious measures without underestimating the existing dangerous situation".

The U.S. attack was criticised by the United Nations, many European countries and the Arab League.

The United States called on Friday for the speedy deployment of African peacekeepers to Somalia to stop what it called a security vacuum that could trigger fresh fighting.

Ethiopia, Washington's major counter-terrorism ally in the Horn of Africa, has said it would keep its troops in Somalia for a few weeks to help Somalia's interim government in what is the 14th attempt to restore central rule in the country since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled in 1991.

[doc1019]

Oh, I don’t know … just a random thought. I’m sure that my observations will not effect, in any why, the direction of our government.

[sgtbono2002]

Thay dont call it darkest africa for nothing.

[don-o]

What is this ashat, or asshat?

[Billthedrill]

You might be amused by another book on the region by the first white man ever to cross it and live. That was in 1928. The book is entitled Hellhole of Creation: The Exploration of the Abyssinian Danakil by a fellow named Nesbitt. Trust me, this ain't Smurfland.

[Cicero]

"Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

[NonValueAdded]

Oh come on, you know ... Erit-rea, just outside the dire straits ... we have been willing to give money for years and they have been willing to accept it for years. How much closer can you get?

[Verginius Rufus]

In the late 19th century when the other European countries were carving up Africa, Italy got only some crumbs...they annexed Somalia and Eritrea (so called after the ancient Greek name for the Red Sea) but failed in their attempt to conquer Ethiopia (Abyssinia). In 1935 Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and managed to conquer the country, but the Italians were driven out by the British in 1941, who also took over Eritrea.

The British stayed until 1952, when Eritrea was made part of a federation with Ethiopia. When the Ethiopians turned it into a province, the Eritreans fought for their independence, a war which went on for 30 years. Finally they were recognized as independent in 1993.

The war between the two countries which broke out in 1998 was senseless and devastating. Until then Eritrea seemed to have a little more promise than the average African country. In terms of life expectancy and infant mortality rates, for example, it is almost at the level of Moldova, the worst-off European country.