Islamists want Kenyan army out of border

By ABDULKADIR KHALIF, NATION Correspondent in MOGADISHUP
Thursday, June 18, 2009

Sheikh Hassan Yakoub Ali, an official of a coalition of Islamists ruling Kismayu town, near the country’s border said Kenya and Ethiopia planned to deploy their forces in . He made the remarks during a visit to Mogadishu.

The Islamists have been tightening their noose around the Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu after capturing large territories in the countryside. Kenya and Ethiopia have deployed their armies on the borders.

War campaign

On Wednesday, Kenyan soldiers in the Wajir border town seized 1,000 bags of sugar smuggled into the country from Somalia. There have reports that the Islamists are financing their war campaign with money from contraband sold in Kenya which include sugar and electronics.

A Kenyan military officer in charge of Wajir station, who sought anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the Press, told the Nation that the intercepted sugar was part of assorted goods that illegally crossed into the country.

“They were ferried in two heavy commercial vehicles,” the officer with the rank of Major said. “We are now investigating whether illegal firearms from Somalia can be hidden inside the sugar.” The vehicles are now held up at Wajir military base.

In Mogadishu, Sheikh Ali told both Kenya and Ethiopia to withdraw their forces from Somali borders. “These countries must redeploy their forces from Somali soil. Otherwise, their armies will meet defeat and humiliation,” he said.

Sheikh Ali said the hostile forces will not be welcome in Somalia. “You will collide with the same insurgents that forced the Ethiopian troops to withdraw from Somalia.” The officer from Kismayu town praised Mogadishu for being the cradle of the local jihad.

Last Saturday, Hizbu Islam officials accused the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia of allowing Ethiopian troops to sneak back into Somalia. Sheikh Hassan Mahdi, the spokesman of Hizbu Islam, an Islamist group opposing the TFG, said the Ethiopian forces were in the southern and central regions of Somalia.

Hostile activities

“The TFG is behind the Ethiopian troops coming back to Somali territory,” said Sheikh Mahdi. “It is part of the government’s plan to seek Ethiopian assistance if need arises.” Ethiopia has denied having forces in Somalia.

And, last week, the coalition of Islamists in Kismayu accused Kenya of continuing to mingle in the affairs of the Juba regions, situated next to Kenya. The Islamists blamed their neighbour of intending to neutralise their rule.