14/04/07 (B391) BBC : Un membre du GFT accuse l’Ethiopie de Génocide en Somalie – Ethiopia in Somali ‘genocide’ row (En anglais – info lectrice)

A member of Somalia’s transitional government has accused Ethiopian
troops in the capital Mogadishu of committing genocide since arriving in December.

The accusations came from Hussein Aideed – a former Somali warlord who is
the deputy prime minister of the transitional government.

Ethiopia dismissed Mr Aideed’s comments as an absolute fabrication.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands forced to flee since Ethiopian
troops arrived in Mogadishu.

The Ethiopians arrived at the request of the transitional government, to oust
the Islamist militia that was then in control.

Swelling ranks

The comments of Hussein Aideed underline not only the deep divisions within
Somalia’s transitional government but also the strength of opposition in the
Somali capital to the Ethiopian forces backing it.

Mr Aideed is a former warlord and an influential member of the Hawiye clan
– the dominant clan in Mogadishu.

His comments calling on the Ethiopians to leave signal his effective defection
from the government to join the swelling ranks of the opposition.

Ethiopia sent its troops into Somalia last year to help the interim government
drive out the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) – the Islamist movement that had
taken control of the capital and much of the south of Somalia.

But the armed opposition to Ethiopian forces now goes beyond the remnants
of the UIC.

It includes militias from the Hawiye clan – and they are supported by a groundswell
of popular anger towards the Ethiopians.

Many in Mogadishu are opposed to any foreign military presence – and view
neighbouring Ethiopia in particular as a longstanding rival.

An offensive by Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu last month has only increased
that opposition.