The United States and other western powers have cautioned outsiders against involvement in Somalia, which to date has no single ruling authority. But rumors about Ethiopia’s movement of troops into Somali territory have caused concern in Washington. Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Washington, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer called on Ethiopia and other countries to exercise restraint.
“As far as Ethiopia’s alleged incursion into Somalia, clearly we have asked the Ethiopians for restraint. We’ve asked all external parties to be constrained and allow the Somali people to have a chance to decide their future. This includes the Eritreans who are also backing the Islamic Courts. We think it’s a false debate about external intervention because there’s external parties involved on all sides.”
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