MOGADISHU, 25 July 2006 — More than 5,000 people gathered for an anti-Ethiopia protest in the capital yesterday, days after troops from neighboring Ethiopia arrived to protect Somalia’s virtually powerless government from Islamists. The protesters, who packed a stadium in northern Mogadishu, burned an Ethiopian flag and carried signs that said, “We Must Fight Them!” Ethiopia, a largely Christian country, is the traditional enemy of Somalia, which is mostly Muslim.
The protest was organized by an Islamic militia that is accused of links to Al-Qaeda and has seized control of the capital and much of southern Somalia. The government holds only one town, is militarily weak, undermined by internal rivalries and includes warlords accused of dragging the country into anarchy.
Ethiopian and Somali officials have denied Ethiopian troops are in the country, but Somali witnesses in several towns reported seeing them cross from Ethiopia four days ago and go first to Baidoa, the only town held by the government, and then to nearby Wajid.
Somali government leaders may be reluctant to acknowledge that Ethiopian troops have come to their aid because they do not want to appear to be beholden to the country’s traditional adversary. Anti-Ethiopian sentiment still runs high here.
