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By SOMALI PEACE RALLY .
Ethiopia Urged to Stay Away From The Puntland State of Somalia and its
Conflict
SOMALI PEACE RALLY
Galkaio City, Somalia, November 23rd 2001
PRESS RELEASE
SPR/INFltlk/M11/23/2001
Ethiopia Urged to Stay Away From The Puntland State of Somalia and its
Conflict
Galkaio City, Somalia, November 23rd 2001 – Somali Peace Rally –
Ethiopia’s covert military contacts with Puntland’s former leader, Col.
Abdullahi Yousuf, has became an open secret when it sent a convoy of eight
trucks to Galkacyo today. The new leadership of the Puntland State,
President Jama Ali Jama, protested against this foray which is against the
international law, and the principle of respect of sovereign boundaries.
In fact the Ethiopian involvement in Puntland conflict have been coming to
surface since Puntland’s elders (The Issims) decided to declare Abdullahi’s
extension of mandate null and void.
In August, 2001, in a broad-day light, the former chief of Puntland’s
Derwish forces went to the Eastern region of Ethiopia and came back with two
trucks of ammunition. As recent as a week ago, again Col. Abdullahi received
another few trucks of ammunition and small arms from Ethiopia. Apparently,
the latter was used for the unjustified assault on Garoowe, this past
Wednesday.
This morning around 9:AM, the convoy of eight vehicles (two “technicals”,
two smaller cars, and four trucks carrying nearly 120 soldiers) passed
through Galdogob border point and proceeded to Gaalkayo via Bur-Salah. The
convoy arrived at Gaalkacyo around 11:00. This was a common talk among the
Somalis around the world via the electronic mail, while Ethiopia is
attempting to deny its entry to Somalia’s border.
We call upon Ethiopia to look closely at its decisions to side with the
illegitimate side of Puntland conflict, indeed the losing side. Puntland and
Ethiopia share a lot of things and have many common interests, not to
mention the long porous border.
Therefore, it is the interest of both sides to keep the good neighbourhood.
We urge Addis Ababa to take out its garrison, and stop its military
assistance to the former president-turned warlord, Abdullahi Yousuf.
Somali Peace Rally (SPR) will continue to monitor the cross-border issue, as
well as the current political crisis in the Puntland State of Somalia.
Contact, SPR Secretariat sprally@hotmail.com
WWW.samafale.org - Garoowe.
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