War in Somalia (2006–2009)

Ethiopian war in Somalia
Part of the Somali Civil War
The situation in the beginning of December 2006
Date December 8, 2006– ongoing Location Somalia Result Conflict ongoing
Belligerents
File:Somalia Islamic Courts Flag.svg Islamic Courts Union File:Somalia Islamic Courts Flag.svg Pro-Islamist Militias Alleged: Eritrea File:Somalia Islamic Courts Flag.svg Foreign Jihadists	Transitional Government of Somalia Galmudug Puntland Ethiopia
Commanders and leaders
Hassan Aweys, Hasan Hersi "Turki"	Barre Adan Shire "Hirale", Abdi Qeybdid, Adde Musa (Puntland)
Strength
10,000 - 30,000 soldiers 500 - 2000 technicals Heavy weapons including artillery, GTA and GTG missiles Alleged Forces: 2,000 Eritrean soldiers ~1,000 Foreign Jihadists	2,000 - 5,000 clan militia 300 - 500 technicals 500 - 15,000 Ethiopian infantry (Ethiopia claims the low figure, ICU the high figure. A UN report placed their numbers at ~7,000) Ethiopian heavy weapons, including artillery, GTG, GTA missiles. Unknown number of Ethiopian tank forces.

The Ethiopian war in Somalia began on December 8, 2006 with reports of heavy clashes between Ethiopian, Somali and Islamic Courts Union forces. The two sides have traded war declarations on several occasions before.

Background

Main articles: Somali Civil War (2006) and Ethiopian involvement in Somalia

Ethiopian involvement in Somalia gained widespread public attention when Ethiopian troops moved into Somalian territory on July 20 2006. Somalia's interim government is currently resisting militant advances by the Islamic Courts Union forces north to the last unoccupied city of Baidoa.

A Somoeali Islamist leader has ordered a "jihad" to drive out Ethiopian troops, after they entered the country to protect the weak interim government, however, Sharia courts in Ethiopia condemned the ICU's declaration of holy war.

Ethiopia has been a long-term ally of President Abdullahi Yusuf and in the 1990s helped him defeat an Islamist militia led by Hassan Aweys.

Ethiopian troops had reportedly moved into another town in south-western Somalia, two days after entering the country to protect the weak government.

Eyewitnesses say about 200 Ethiopian soldiers took control of the airstrip outside Waajid early on Saturday, July 22. Later reports indicate that Ethiopian soldiers have occupied Bardaale, 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baidoa, the day after the ICU seized control of Kismayo on September 21.

Slide to war

An exchange of mortar shells between Union of Islamic Courts and Ethiopian forces has occurred in Galkayo on November 28, 2006 where both Islamists and Ethiopian forces are facing off. Ethiopian and Islamist forces in Galkayo, central Somalia, were less than 5 km away from one another.

On November 30, 2006, an Ethiopian military convoy in Somalia was ambushed by fighters loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts. Eyewitnesses said a truck was blown up and there was an exchange of fire. The UIC claim 20 Ethiopians died. Ethiopia's parliament voted the same day to let the government take "all necessary" steps to rebuff any invasion by Somalia's Islamists. "Parliament hereby authorizes the government to take all necessary and legal steps to stave off a declaration of holy war and invasion by the Union of Islamic Courts against the country," the resolution said.

Hundreds of troops from the transitional government, backed by Ethiopian soldiers, began amassing near Dinsor after the Islamic Courts had seized the town on Saturday without encountering any resistance or firing a single shot.

War

On December 8, 2006, fighters from Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts clashed with Somalian pro-government forces, allegedly in cooperation with Ethiopian troops. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, head of the Islamic Courts, told a crowd in Mogadishu that fighting had started in Dinsor in the south, and called on all Somalis to "stand up and defeat the enemies". Another official said Ethiopian troops had shelled the town of Bandiradley. The Deputy Defence Minister of the Somali government, Salat Ali Jelle, confirmed the fighting but denied any Ethiopian troops were involved. The Ethiopian government has denied repeated claims that its troops are fighting alongside Somali government militia.

Witnesses in Dagaari village near Bandiradley said that they saw hundreds of Ethiopian troops and tanks take up positions near the town with militiamen from the northeastern semi-autonomous region of Puntland .