Africa in Crisis- The Merged Superthread

[patrick666]

Wow.

What exactly did you do? I recently wrote a paper on Africa for my english class and it has been on my mind ever since. I want to know as much as I can about what is going on.

Would you mind telling me about your experiences? I think that would be a very interesting perspective.

 

[Padraig OCinnead]

Do you want me to e-mail you a bit?

 

[patrick666]

That would be very awesome of you. My email address is in my profile so feel free to drop me a line.

 

[Padraig OCinnead]

Give me a couple of days and I‘ll send you a bit. Some pics as well. Mind you this is from a soldier‘s point of view. It might not necessarily be what you are looking for but I‘ll put together a few things and e-mail it off in by Tues or Wed.

Cheers

gotta go eat my Sunday dinner.

 

[donkon]

I know the french foreign legion is stationed there and they constantly have missions there. Not really sure about the whole story but i am getting a book about the FFL this week so i will let you know when i read about it.

 

[patrick666]

Would be appreciated, Don. What is the name of the book?

Padraig, I am looking for any view. You can‘t particularly understand fully what is going on until you see it from as many perspectives as you can. IMHO. I bet it‘s a good dinner to - compared to my beans and oreos.

 

[MarkOttawa]

A round-up guest-post at Daimnation!:
http://www.damianpenny.com/archived/008459.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Dare]

A round-up guest-post at Daimnation!:
http://www.damianpenny.com/archived/008459.html

Mark
Ottawa

Comment by Queensman:

“The Americans are simply not prepared to listen to anyone else’s point of view,” one diplomat complained angrily. “They have made their mind up.”..

You see, the Europeans always listen to everybody and never make their mind up.

That is called sophistication.

I like that comment. I hope Ethiopia does not back down.

 

[a_majoor]

Game on:

http://strongconservative.blogspot.com/2006/12/somalia-ethiopia-at-war.html

Somalia-Ethiopia At War

Somalia's Islamic fascist government declared that it was now at war with Ethiopia. The Somalian government is now known as the Union of Islamic Courts after a civil war with rival forces that has raged for years. Ethiopia is a largely Christian country.

Ethiopia sent forces into Somalia not long ago to halt the advance of Islamic forces, although it denies these actions. Now, "Fresh heavy fighting is reported near the weak Somali government's Baidoa base, amid fears conflict could plunge the entire Horn of Africa into crisis."(BBC)

Somalia's Deputy Defence Minister Salad Ali Jelle told reporters in Baidoa that 71 Islamic fighters had been killed and 221 injured so far during clashes in three locations. But in Mogadishu, UIC official Sheik Mohamud Ibrahim Suley claimed his fighters had killed 70 fighters, mainly Ethiopian troops.

This appears to be another fulfillment of Samuel Huntington's prediction of "bloody borders" where Islam and Christianity (or Buddhism) meet. Such is true in many other parts of Africa, Asia and Europe like Chechnya, Bosnia, Sudan, and Thailand.

Ethiopia has admitted to having some military trainers in Somalia, but our correspondent says that as he drove to the airport in Baidoa on Wednesday, he was stopped by a huge convoy of Ethiopian military armour.
The United Nations estimates that at least 8,000 Ethiopian troops may be in the country backing the government while regional rival Eritrea has deployed some 2,000 troops in support of the Islamic group. (Id)

 

[Sig_Des]

Ethiopia warns it losing patience as Somalis clash
Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:14pm ET
By Hassan Yare

BAIDOA, Somalia (Reuters) - Ethiopian tanks rolled to the battlefront on Friday as Somali Islamists and Somalia's pro-government troops pounded each other with artillery and rockets in a fourth day of clashes.

In its first detailed response to the fighting that has killed dozens and wounded hundreds, Addis Ababa said its patience was running out and demanded the Somali Islamic Courts Council (SICC) stop all "hostile anti-Ethiopian activities".

"The situation in Somalia has turned from bad to worse," said a statement from Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Ethiopia has been patient so far. There is a limit to this."

The U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council denounced the fighting and urged the interim government and Islamists to resume peace talks.

Ethiopia has said it would make public any intention of war against the Islamists, who already view it as a fait accompli.

The Islamists said they would send ground troops to attack en masse on Saturday, as opposed to fighting from a distance with heavy weapons as the two sides have done so far, ignoring a European peace initiative.

"Our troops have not started to attack. From tomorrow the attack will start," Islamist deputy spokesman Ibrahim Shukri told a news conference.

More on link:

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-12-22T201401Z_01_L2248305_RTRUKOC_0_US-SOMALIA-CONFLICT.xml&WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_C2_worldNews-1

 

[Mike Baker]

Can't be good at all.

 

[Yrys]

Timeline: Ethiopia vs Somalia

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6159735.stm

Ethiopia and Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) are on war footing.
The BBC New website logs the two countries troubled relationship.

 

[Yrys]

Thousands flee as war escalates in Somalia

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/12/22/somalia.ap/index.html

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Ethiopian attack helicopters and tanks
headed for battle Friday as fighting raged for a fourth day between Somalia's
Islamic militia and the country's secular government, witnesses and a
government official said.

Tens of thousands of Somalis fled their homes as the Ethiopian-backed
government used artillery to push back Islamic fighters who had advanced
on the regime's only stronghold, Baidoa. Islamic forces who have declared
they want to bring the whole country under Quranic rule said the latest
fighting had been started by the government but now they would launch
their own attacks.

 

[midget-boyd91]

Soooo umm.. whats going ot happen now??? The UN isn't even able to put very many troops (or at least equipped ones) down in Sudan for humanitarian, and now in roughly the same area andother disaster is unfolding. NATO isn't going to be able to do anything the UN isn't, so are we all going to sit and watch it happen on CNN and CTV, or is someone sitting behind a desk actually going to do something this time?

 

[George Wallace]

Look south......way down south......what do you see?  Know anything about the South African Army?

 

[midget-boyd91]

Look south......way down south......what do you see?  Know anything about the South African Army?

This is a serious question, Im not trying to sound sarcastic, but do you really think that they would throw themselves in the middle of it all knowing for a fact that they would become a target of the Islamic Militia?

 

[career_radio-checker]

Look south......way down south......what do you see?  Know anything about the South African Army?

Yah I'd be leaning in that direction too George. Chances are you won't see any NATO or Western led Peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia or Somalia (again). Colonialism has left a really sour taste in African mouths, who have come to blame caucasians for all their problems of starvation,  corruption, ethnic tensions, health problems etc on us. They don't want a 'White' army setting foot in certain African states (A very bold and racy statement, I know, but just look at how Suddan only allowed an all African force to 'patrol' Darfur. The only caucasions there are observers). Sounds like a job for another UN sanctioned African Union mission for which South Africa could be a major contributor.

 

[George Wallace]

This is a serious question, Im not trying to sound sarcastic, but do you really think that they would throw themselves in the middle of it all knowing for a fact that they would become a target of the Islamic Militia?

They may not have to throw themselves into it.  It may come to them.  In fact it most probably will come to them.  The only question is when.

 

[midget-boyd91]

Do you think that if they do end up taking a handfull of casualties they would end up leaving the way the US did in 93  (i hate using that as an example.. it was just the best one i could think of at the time).?


70

 

[George Wallace]

You have lost me.  If they are fighting on their borders, it is not the same as fighting half way around the world.  They can't pack up and go home.  They already are home and are fighting to protect their home.  Casualties will not be a factor.