Ethiopia plans “brief military incursion” into Somalia

25 November 2011 TRDEFENCE

Ethiopia will deploy troops inside Somalia for a “brief period” to help Somali and Kenyan forces expand their control in southern Somalia, Ethiopian officials said on Friday.

Ethiopia will deploy troops inside Somalia for a “brief period” to help Somali and Kenyan forces expand their control in southern Somalia, Ethiopian officials said on Friday.

Kenya’s incursion into southern Somalia is now in its sixth week, to crush opponent fighters who control much of the south and centre of the country.

A government official also acknowledged for the first time that a small force had already rolled across the border to carry out reconnaissance missions. Addis Ababa had previously denied that scores of military trucks and armoured vehicles had moved in on Nov 19 and 20.

“Addis Ababa is yet to fully deploy its troops, with its foray in its preliminary stage and only reconnaissance and liaison missions carried out so far,” the government official, who declined to be named, told Reuters after a meeting of regional leaders in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

An Ethiopian military official confirmed the mission would be short to avoid “negative consequences”. Neither gave any details on the size or scope of the eventual deployment.

Head of the regional IGAD bloc, Mahboub Maalim, said Ethiopia had promised to “assist in the peace and stabilisation activities” ongoing in Somalia.