Thursday, February 04, 2010
Information Minister, Sheik Dahir Mahmud Guelleh told a press conference in Mogadishu that his government has evidence showing that Eritrean government is still giving arms and ammunition to Islamist rebel groups fighting Somali government and AU peacekeepers in Mogadishu.
“Al shabab gets assistance including arms, ammunition, money and other military equipments from Eritrea which is helping the destabilization in the horn of Africa region," the minister said.
He said Eritrea arms Somali islamist rebels through the port city of Kismayo which has also an international airport.
He said that Al-qaeda and Eritrea are fueling the crisis in Somalia where hundreds of Al-qaeda fighters are fighting with the assistance of its proxy in Somalia, Al shabab.
“We are calling on the world governments to help the United Nations to strengthen the arms embargo on Eritrea to compel it stop assisting terrorists fighting Somali government,” he said.
The minister asked International community to help Somali government defeat terrorists and establish law and order in the war-devastated country where more than half a million people mainly civilians have been killed in the past two decades.
Source: APA