Somalia: Minister, Ethiopian Officers Confer On Current Security - Report
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The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)
15 July 2008
Posted to the web 16 July 2008
Addis Ababa
Somalia Defense minister Muhyidin Muhammad Hajji Ibrahim met and held discussions with Ethiopia military officers on current security challenges and ways to tackle them, according to a report from the war-ravaged neighboring country.
The report said the two sides discussed cooperation in a secret meeting which took place in Baydhabo city, the capital of Bay Region [south-central Somalia], The security situation in Baydhabo, which hosts parliament, is particularly on the verge of spiraling out of control, the report noted.
Citing "sources close to the meeting", the report said the Ethiopian officers and interim Somali government defense minister agreed to cooperate on security, with the Ethiopian government suggesting that Somali government army soldiers be trained to take part in maintenance of security.
Somali defense minister Muhyidin Muhammad Hajji in particular requested the Ethiopian government to provide arms to Somali troops, saying that they did not have adequate weapons with which to keep security and defend themselves against the insurgents," Somaaljecel.com wrote on its Monday edition.
Reports say that the Ethiopian officers accused some Somali soldiers of working with the insurgents, even selling arms and ammunition to them and sometimes taking off their uniforms and fighting alongside them.
The report noted that, to counter this matter, the Ethiopian officers proposed that Somali soldiers undergo training as well as work with Ethiopian troops based in Somalia, that every Somali army unit be led by an Ethiopian officer so that their activities are known.
"The Somali defense minister accepted the proposal," said the report.
Interim Somali government soldiers trained in Ethiopia are stationed in Bay and Banaadir regions. Another batch of soldiers trained in Ethiopia have not yet arrived in the country; they are said to have encamped in Doolow, a locality that straddles border between Somalia and Ethiopia, the report said.
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He requested the Ethiopian government to temporarily pay salaries of Somali government soldiers, as the report indicated, Somali government lacked financial resources and therefore his ministry could not pay soldiers salaries.
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