Somalis Protest against Ethiopian Troops

According to Somali authorities, more than 5,000 people have organized a massive rally to protest against the presence of the Ethiopian troops, which have recently entered Somalia in order to ensure security and protection for the now Baidoa-located interim Somali government.

The protesters have gathered within a stadium in the northern part of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, which is now controlled by the Islamic militia, sang anti-Ethiopian slogans and carried banners on which "We must fight them!" was inscribed against a country, Christian Ethiopia, which has long been the archenemy of Muslim Somalia.

Many other protests such as this one have already been organized by the Islamic militia, which has been accused of holding direct links with al-Qaeda on many occasions. As opposed to them, the interim government is fairly weak, does not retain any legitimacy or authority whatsoever, it has been internally undermined through rivalries among the warlords that make it up, who have been blamed for dragging the country into anarchy.

As far as the presence of Ethiopian troops on Somali territory is concerned, governmental officials from both countries have denied such rumors, although witnesses have reported they had spotted Somali troops in Baidoa, the only town currently held by the Somali transitional government, and in nearby Wajid. Many have speculated upon the fact that Somali leaders do not actually want to acknowledge that Ethiopian troops have come to protect them because they do not want to officially be linked to their enemies.

On the other hand, many view Ethiopia's military incursion into Somalia as the only chance for reducing the newly-acquired power of the Islamic militia, yet others interpret it as a reason for the militia to gather public support for a guerilla war.