Ethiopian troops in Somalia are committed to the principles of human rights, writes ZERIHUN RETTA
VINCENT BROWNE'S column headlined "State must not assist US action in Somalia" (Opinion and Analysis, May 28th) contained two kinds of misplaced accusations.
The first is that the US backed the Ethiopian government's move into Somalia and the second concerns allegations of atrocities committed by Ethiopian soldiers in Somalia.
Ethiopia's reasons for entering into Somalia were twofold. One was to defend itself from the danger posed by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The al-Qaeda backed ICU forces, had repeatedly declared a Jihad war on Ethiopia and then openly waged war against it.
Despite the ICU threats and provocation, the Ethiopian government sought to solve the aggression peacefully. But the ICU turned a deaf ear to Ethiopia's call for peace because of its agenda to create instability in the Horn region. When diplomatic efforts failed, Ethiopia had only one alternative, it was forced to act in order to safeguard its sovereignty and thwart a clear and present danger from the ICU forces. This right is enshrined in the UN charter. Ethiopia does not need the backing of any other nation to exercise it and did not ask for US backing.
This brings us to the second objective of the Ethiopian operation, which was to help restore peace in Somalia. The parliament of Somalia, which incorporates 275 parliamentarians, was founded by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Ethiopian defence forces entered Somalia in December 2006 at the invitation of the TFG and city elders in Somalia. The movement was and is supported by the international community, including the African Union and UN Security Council.
Ethiopia's action was therefore in line with the interest of the international community, the Somali people and other peace-loving countries of the region, and it has stood by the legally formed transitional government.
Browne refers to Amnesty International's report on allegations against Ethiopian troops in Somalia. The government of Ethiopia responded to these allegations on May 6th, categorically rejecting Amnesty's allegations that Ethiopian troops in Somalia have killed people by slitting their throats "like goats".
This is a lie, fed to Amnesty by groups affiliated to Al-Shabaab, groups that use the cover of human rights to promote their terrorist agenda. We deeply regret that Amnesty has lent itself to a disgraceful smear campaign against the armed forces of Ethiopia.
The piece deliberately avoids any mention of terrorist groups. Indeed, it appears to have escaped Amnesty's attention that Al-Shabaab has been declared a terrorist organisation. It ignores the widespread violations of human rights committed by Al-Shabaab whose signature activities include a campaign of murder and targeted assassination of political and religious leaders, a deliberate and admitted disregard for civilian life in its operations, the desecration of dead bodies and the cutting of throats of Muslim clerics who oppose it, as at the Al Hidaya mosque in May.
Ethiopian troops are well-disciplined. They are educated in, and committed to, the principles of human rights, to the protection of civilians in conflict areas and the implementation of international humanitarian law. They are supporting the people of Somalia in their drive to restructure their country, carry out reconciliation, and consolidate the police and security apparatus to establish a functional government.
Ethiopian troops are carrying out these duties while facing attacks by 82mm mortars, RPG7, ZU23 x 4, anti-tank weapons, roadside and suicide car bombs. They have always treated injured and captured fighters humanely and appropriately and have never deliberately or knowingly targeted civilians despite the operational difficulties.
It is not the interest of Ethiopia to stay longer in Somalia and it is ready to withdraw its forces from Somalia at any time. Ethiopian troops are unable to return home without leaving a dangerous vacuum that would result in the annihilation of the window of opportunities created for peace now. All serious observers of Somalia accept that there is a real window of opportunity for the
Somali peace process, a process substantially brought about by Ethiopia's successful military backing for the TFG. This is demonstrated in the recent weeks when representatives of the TFG and of the opposition are holding talks in Djibouti.
Zerihun Retta is ambassador of Ethiopia to Ireland