More than 70 people have died and more than 200 have been wounded in battles in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu in the past 24 hours.
A BBC correspondent says Ethiopian forces are engaged in reprisal attacks after soldiers’ bodies were dragged through the streets on Thursday.
Somalia’s presidential envoy defended the Ethiopian army’s tactics.
Abdirashid Sed told the BBC that the Ethiopians were responding to aggression by insurgents and had not attacked civilians.
Fighting between Islamist-led insurgents and elements of the Ethiopian army for control of Mogadishu has intensified during the past two weeks, prompting thousands of citizens to flee the city.
Shelling
The dragging of mutilated bodies of Ethiopian soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu has provoked a fierce and furious reaction.
On Friday, Ethiopian soldiers were reported to have fired cannon shells into an area of the south of the city where insurgent militia men are thought to be based.
The BBC’s Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says most of the dead are civilians, killed by shells fired into markets and residential areas.
Doctors say hospitals are overflowing with badly injured people.
People are trying to escape the violence.
“As you can see there is nothing they left for us, and most of those who died, died due to injuries they sustained and no medical assistance,” Saido Ali Asoble told Reuters news agency.
“Ethiopian troops are allowing us to leave our houses to go to safe areas,” she said.
Another woman blamed the Ethiopian troops for the problems.
“They killed every person they saw in the area and we have now decided to flee the capital,” Asha Guled said.
The insurgents are loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts, which was expelled by Somalia’s transitional government with the help of Ethiopian troops after briefly controlling much of central and southern parts of the country.
Presidential adviser Abdirashid Sed denied that traditional animosity between Ethiopians and Somalis was a major part of the problem in his country.
“There are many countries who are fuelling this insurgency,” Mr Sed told the BBC. “This problem needs international intervention and an international solution.”
‘Committed’
On the question of UN peacekeeping troops, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the international community could consider other options, including a multi-national force or what he calls a “coalition of the willing”.
The African Union (AU) did agree to send 8,000 peacekeepers to Somalia this year but only 1,600 Ugandan troops have actually made it.
The AU only wanted to be there for six months before being replaced by the UN.
Diplomats say it is hard to imagine which countries will want to contribute troops given how dangerous and chaotic Somalia is.
Few governments have forgotten the images of US troops being dragged through the streets by Somali militiamen back in 1993.
However, Bereket Simon, special adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister, said Ethiopia was committed to staying in Somalia.
“We believe the situation is improving and there is a big chance of stabilising Mogadishu,” he told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.
BBC Africa analyst Mary Harpers says that with Mr Ban describing as unviable the idea of deploying a UN force in the country, Ethiopia has little choice but to remain.
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FORUM | 8 Comments
Now woyanne Soldiers become furiously angry that is why they started killing everybody in Somalia.
This becomes an endless and long lasting bloodshed.
‘Thanks’to the greedy MELES who made multiple enemies to innocent Ethiopians.
[Reply]
November 9th, 2007 at 9:42 PM
Killing civilians is unacceptable by any measure. The dragging of our deceased brothers (who have no idea what woyane is doing, most of which have no political understand) is not justifiable and human either. I wish they won’t do it again; no Ethiopian ‘d do that if Somalis invade Addis, but cover the corpse with close or advice young from doing so.
The solution is in fact that Woyane has to evacuate the soldiers, and defend the the country on border, leave the mess to themselves.
Peace to Ethiopia
[Reply]
November 9th, 2007 at 11:42 PM
well it is very amazing, from what I saw on the picture it was the civilian, women, childern, and men who where dragging a dead body on the street, and I guess that makes them a legttimate target for the wrath of Ethiopian fire power. so plz stop whining…
[Reply]
November 10th, 2007 at 1:30 AM
To addis ababa:
It is good to see ‘little Hitlerites’ on the making; the above comment is telling us it is okay to invade ones teritory and still killing the people indiscriminately. Atleast Hitler had had selected targets when killing. Woyane claims ‘to liberate’ the Somali people by shaling their residences, markets and play grounds.
[Reply]
November 10th, 2007 at 8:49 AM
Woyanes are losing their illegal and imoral war – but their master Mr Meles does not care whether thousand of Woyanes are killed in Mogadishi evey day; his aim is please Bush and secure his political power. Meles adivsor was telling BBC this morning that only 5 Woyanes lost their lifes in Mogadishu when in fact BBC stated over 62 Woyane dead and over 30 captured alive; this shown us the Woyane does not care even the Woyanes on uniform let alone none Woyane Ethiopians.
[Reply]
November 10th, 2007 at 11:37 AM
This action by Woyane solders in Somalia is crime against humanity or genocide commited on the natives.Melese,Bereket and other TPLF thugs should face justice.I feel sorry for those poor Woyane solders whose mutilated body was dragged on the street of Megadishu,this never happened to the Ethiopian army during either Haileselassie or Derg because the army was proffessional.The woyane army is full of thugs and rapists and now they are paying a price for their crime to Ethiopians and Somalis.Probably we will also see soon that hundreds of thousands killed in the upcoming war between Woyane and Shabia.Mengedun Cherk Yargilet le Melese Zenawi and for the fascist tplf members.
[Reply]
November 10th, 2007 at 11:45 AM
when ppl are pushed to the point of no return, then rules of engagement do not apply anymore. Everyday the ethiopian army and the warlords they are helping uses residential areas for target shooting as it were a training camp, they should not expect to be treated like human being in this or the next life.
and god willing the ppl of somalia and ethiopia will defeat these so called leaders because enough is enough.
peace to horn of africa.
god bless
[Reply]
November 10th, 2007 at 12:10 PM
what Meles Zinawi is telling the world community is that I am abducting little Ethiopian children and make them child solders and get them killed and get them dragged dead in the streets of Somalia and kill somalian civilian and commuit genocide whereever I feel like blood must be shed.
Today, this boss of mafia family is totally drenched in the blood of Ethiopian and solamila children. He is savagely made bleed the hearts minds of those mothers whose children are savagely murdered in the dusty streets of somalia. When is the end???????????????????????
For sure, at one point all the mothers of those little ones who are being killed prematurely would definitely rise up against this NAZI REGIME OF THE MELES ZINAWI CRIME FAMILY.
Let’s pray along with those broken-heart mothers and fight the enemy until all the crime families are captured and be brought to justice.
[Reply]
November 10th, 2007 at 5:20 PM