Demonstration in Mogadishu against the deployment of forces from Ethiopia, Djibouti
Somalia, Politics, 2/15/2005

Thousands of Somalis demonstrated in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday in protest of the participation of forces from Ethiopia and Djibouti within forces to be sent by the African Union to the country to keep peace in the African horn.

The demonstrators raised banners opposing the existence of these forces within the peace keeping forces under the pretext that Ethiopia had supported the warlords by weapons while Djibouti supported the interim government demanding simultaneously "neutral forces."

The demonstration came at the invitation of the Islamic groups Union which called for "al'Jihad" in case non Muslim forces take part in the mission.

However, the peace keeping force in Somalia of the African union aims at helping Somalia to bring back order and security to end a war lasted for 14 years.

Officials in the African Union said that Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan will participate in forces and weapons, initially in Somalia.

The Somali President Abdullah Youssef expressed his desire to form a joint force from the African Union and the Arab League composed of 7500 soldiers in order to facilitate the return back of the government currently existed in Kenya.

The Somali government intends to return back to the country this month after it was formed following peace talks in adjoining Kenya in 2004 in order to end the rule of the warring militias which toppled the former President Muhammad Seyad Berri in 1991.

It is very common that the Somalis oppose foreign intervention in their country's affairs. The last mission of a peace keeping force in Somalia resulted in a humiliated and bloody withdrawal for the American and UN security forces during the 1990s.

Previous Stories:
  Visit of international mission to Somalia postponed for security reasons   (2/14/2005)
  Somali parliament speaker returns back home in preparation for return back of the government   (2/8/2005)
  A new Somali government chaired by Jeidi was appointed   (1/8/2005)

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