From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sun Sep 07 2008 - 14:43:29 EDT
7 Somali soldiers, Ethiopian officer defect to insurgency
7 Sep 7, 2008 - 4:26:32 PM
MOGADISHU, Somalia Sep 7 (Garowe Online) - A group of soldiers formerly
loyal to the allied governments of Somalia and Ethiopia have reportedly
switched sides and "surrendered" over to militants leading the
insurgency, Radio Garowe reported Sunday.
Abdirahim Isse Addow, a spokesman for the Islamic Courts movement, said
seven Somali soldiers and one Ethiopian military officer said the
Islamists would welcome the defecting soldiers.
"The Ethiopian officer told us he is Christian, but we will protect
him...and introduce him to Islam," said Addow, who was present when the
soldiers were shown to local media.
A soldier who spoke for the defecting Somali troops said they were all
trained in Ethiopia and deployed at the ex-pasta factory, in north
Mogadishu.
The Ethiopian officer, who spoke in the Amharic language, said he is
"worried" about his family in Ethiopia, fearing that the Meles Zenawi
government might harm them as punishment for his defection.
Somali government officials declined to respond to the defections when
Garowe Online contacted them for comment.
Source: Garowe Online
<http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/uploads/2/soldiers.jpg>
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