Somali leaders confirmed that Ethiopian troops had captured the former capital of its exiled government today in a morale-boosting victory over al-Qaeda backed insurgents on the eve of the London conference on the country's future.


"One of the most important cities in southwestern Somalia, Baidoa, has just been captured from Al-Shabaab," Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, the prime minister said in London.

Baidoa, 155 miles northeast of the capital Mogadishu, is one of the main bases of the Al-Qaeda-allied Shebab, and its capture deals a major blow to the insurgents, who control large parts of southern and central Somalia.

The loss of Baidoa in central Somalia is a major blow for the al Qaeda-backed al-Shabaab rebel group which is also battling Kenyan troops to hold on to territory in southern Somalia and against African peacekeepers in pockets of the capital.

"We have taken Baidoa. There was no resistance from al Shabaab," said Abdifatah Mohamed Gesey, a senior commander of the advancing Somali government soldiers.

Al Shabaab said its withdrawal from the city had been a tactical once aimed at avoiding casualties.
"Our fighters left town this morning without fighting. Now we are surrounding the town," said Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations.

"Baidoa will be a cemetery for the Ethiopians."

Earlier on Wednesday, a Baidoa resident who gave his name as Farah told Reuters no al Shabaab fighters were visible in the streets.

"Al Shabaab have run away to the Idaale jungle. Other residents tell me Ethiopian troops have reached the corners of the city," Farah told Reuters by telephone.

Ethiopia's forces launched a push south towards Baidoa through the neighbouring Bay and Bakool regions on Tuesday, making swift progress with the insurgents offering minimal resistance, said officials.

Baidoa is considered the most important rebel base after the southern port city of Kismayu.

Baidoa was the base of the interim government from early 2006, when another Islamist administration was battling warlords for control of Mogadishu, until the turn of 2008/2009 when al Shabaab seized the city and expelled the transitional government.

Ethiopia moved troops across the border into Somalia in November to open up a third front against the militants already suffering financial constraints after pulling most of their fighters out of Mogadishu and internal divisions.

On Wednesday morning, witnesses said al Shabaab had also surrendered the town of Berdale for Baidoa.

Berdale resident Ali Mohamed Abukar said a "huge number" of heavily armed footsoldiers and columns of armoured vehicles and tanks had rolled into Berdale, a day after wresting control of the town of Yurkud about 50 km away.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... abaab.html

One has to keep in mind that Al Shabaab has openly aligned itself with Al Qaeda. Al Shabaab has also openly declared war on Ethiopia way before Ethiopian troops ever set foot in Somalia. One should not be naive and think that if we don't get involved, Somalia can solve its problem by itself. Unfortunately, we own the Somalia problem and we can not bury our head in the sand and pray it just goes away. We live in a bad neighborhood and we have to protect ourselves by any means possible.

Good job...


I think this is a good excercise, now let's send these troops up north and have them take care of a small project...

One has to keep in mind that Al Shabaab has openly aligned itself with Al Qaeda. Al Shabaab has also openly declared war on Ethiopia way before Ethiopian troops ever set foot in Somalia. One should not be naive and think that if we don't get involved, Somalia can solve its problem by itself. Unfortunately, we own the Somalia problem and we can not bury our head in the sand and pray it just goes away. We live in a bad neighborhood and we have to protect ourselves by any means possible.

YEBANDAMERZE ,

Ethiopia should have stayed away from Somalia issue as long as they have done noting to harm Ethiopia. I guess it is way too late for that.

Al-Sebab are the youth Movement smart and energetic people they don't bother to fight like a fool and they will choose where and when to attack, i fell sorry for those Ethiopian troops which they fight for wrong cause to fulfill Weyanes dream

One has to keep in mind that Al Shabaab has openly aligned itself with Al Qaeda. Al Shabaab has also openly declared war on Ethiopia way before Ethiopian troops ever set foot in Somalia. One should not be naive and think that if we don't get involved, Somalia can solve its problem by itself. Unfortunately, we own the Somalia problem and we can not bury our head in the sand and pray it just goes away. We live in a bad neighborhood and we have to protect ourselves by any means possible.

YEBANDAMERZE ,

Ethiopia should have stayed away from Somalia issue as long as they have done noting to harm Ethiopia. I guess it is way too late for that.

aragaw-
I may disagree with you on this issue. Alshabab has to be destroyed and dismantled by any country not only Ethiopia alone. Once this extremist fundamentalist aligned with alqaeda it is time to hunt them like animal and get rid of them from African continent for good. Let them go to Afgahinistan and joined their mujhadin brothers. mic free

One has to keep in mind that Al Shabaab has openly aligned itself with Al Qaeda. Al Shabaab has also openly declared war on Ethiopia way before Ethiopian troops ever set foot in Somalia. One should not be naive and think that if we don't get involved, Somalia can solve its problem by itself. Unfortunately, we own the Somalia problem and we can not bury our head in the sand and pray it just goes away. We live in a bad neighborhood and we have to protect ourselves by any means possible.

YEBANDAMERZE ,

Ethiopia should have stayed away from Somalia issue as long as they have done noting to harm Ethiopia. I guess it is way too late for that.

aragaw-
I may disagree with you on this issue. Alshabab has to be destroyed and dismantled by any country not only Ethiopia alone. Once this extremist fundamentalist aligned with alqaeda it is time to hunt them like animal and get rid of them from African continent for good. Let them go to Afgahinistan and joined their mujhadin brothers. mic free

You see we meet again now you are saying Al shebab needs to be destroyed or ship to Afganistan but i disagree with you here but to me all Somali people need to engage in to the political process with out foreign intervention weather or not they are radical moderate that includes Al Shebab and let the Somali people solve their own problems .

yoha
You see we meet again now you are saying Al shebab needs to be destroyed or ship to Afganistan but i disagree with you here but to me all Somali people need to engage in to the political process with out foreign intervention weather or not they are radical moderate that includes Al Shebab and let the Somali people solve their own problems .

Yes we met again with another subject. If all Somalia agrees by now they have their own govt by them selves. As you see the country is divided among their tribes. I am not against your wish. But since those extremist Alshabab joined Alqaeda, they are a threat to any freedom loving countries all over the world.

yoha
You see we meet again now you are saying Al shebab needs to be destroyed or ship to Afganistan but i disagree with you here but to me all Somali people need to engage in to the political process with out foreign intervention weather or not they are radical moderate that includes Al Shebab and let the Somali people solve their own problems .

Yes we met again with another subject. If all Somalia agrees by now they have their own govt by them selves. As you see the country is divided among their tribes. I am not against your wish. But since those extremist Alshabab joined Alqaeda, they are a threat to any freedom loving countries all over the world.

MR: Obama let me clear something there are no TRIBES in SOMALIA it's just a CLAN and a clan means my be a group of family's or friends that could be 20 ,50 ,100 or more people that is all among them there are warlords as leaders and do you know all Somali people are Muslim what i mean is they all have same religion, same ethnicity and one Tribe , I believe their problem is Foreign Intervention they could solve their problems easy. Hey My Ethiopian Brother Just because I say Let Somali solve their own problems that does not mean I don't Like Ethiopa or Support Al Shebab again all Somali people radical moderate or Al Shebab or Former ICU are all part of the Somalia people they need to seat down and solve their own problem. እስኪ ልጠይቅህ ይህ ሶማሊያ ውስጥ ያለው ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ቢፈጠር ሌላ የውጭ ሃይል እንዲገባ ትፈልጋለህ ምናልባት አንተ ለክርክር እንዲመችህ AU,UN,IGAD,or something else ልትነግረኝ ትችላለህ ይህ ዘመን ያመጣው ቴረርዝም ፈሊጥ ሆን ተብሎ ነጮች ጥቅማቸውን ለማስከበር የሚጠቀሙበትን ክርክር እንተወው አልቃይዳም ሆነ አልሸባብ የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ጠላት አይደሉም ትክክል ናቸው አይደሉም የራሳቸው ጉዳይ አሁን የኢትዮጵያም ሆነ የኬንያ ከወረራ ምንም አይለይም ሶማሌ ለኢትዮጵያ እንኻን አሁን ድሮም አስጊ አልነበችም አሁንማ በየሰዓቱ ህጻናትና አረጋውያን እንደ ቅጠል የሚረግፉባት ሶማሌን መውረር የኢትዮጵያን ታሪክ አጉዳፊ ብቻ ሳይሆን በህግም አስጠያቂነትም ሊኖርበት ይገባል::

yoha
MR: Obama let me clear something there are no TRIBES in SOMALIA it's just a CLAN and a clan means my be a group of family's or friends it could 20 ,50 ,100 or more people that is all among them there are warlords as leaders and do you know all Somali people are Muslim what i mean is they all have same religion, same ethnicity and one Tribe , I believe their problem is Foreign Intervention they could solve their problems easy.

Mr. Yoha-
you are quite right they have different Clans. My bad. As I have told you as far as Alshabab is working with Aleqadea it is a threat to all neighboring countries. If we can't learn from 9/11 we will be naive to say let the Somalia found their solutions. It doesn't work that way. Alshabab has to split from Alqaeda and try to be clean if they want to be a part of Somalia. we might not agree with this one we have different opinions. I am glad we accept each others opinion and discuss the issue with respect. Thanks.