Ethiopia Admits to Having Troops in Somalia

Ethiopia has admitted to having troops in Somalia, according to BBC News. Until now, Ethiopia had only admitted to having military trainers to help the government forces. Ethiopian troops have reportedly begun bombing the town of Beledweyne, which is on the border.

The Ethiopian Information Minister said that “The Ethiopian government has taken self-defensive measures and started counter-attacking the aggressive extremist forces of the Islamic Courts and foreign terrorist groups.” The UIC, which controls most of the south, has said that it will push Ethiopian troops out.

The UN has estimated that Ethiopia has at least 8,000 troops in Somalia, while Eritrea is believed to have 2,000 there fighting in support of the Islamic group, though the Eritrean government denies it.

Technorati Tags: Civilian Casualties, Civilian Deaths, Peace, War, Somalia, Ethiopia, UIC