Some say Ethiopian troops will restore order; others fear it will lead to genocide
BY MARY BAUER
Pioneer Press
Friday, December 29, 2006
After news hit that Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies marched into the capital city of Mogadishu on Thursday, Somalis in the Twin Cities flocked together — but in two camps.
Many of those who supported Ethiopia's response to an "invitation" from Somalia to restore order went first to the Somali Justice Advocacy Center on Selby Avenue in St. Paul, then to a Starbucks in Minneapolis.
"People are celebrating," said Abdulahi Ahmad of Minneapolis inside a Starbucks packed with Somalis. "The Ethiopians are there for our safety and order."
Those opposed to an Ethiopian "invasion" gathered at the Village Market at 912 24th St. E. in Minneapolis. Men crowded around a wide-screen TV in a coffee shop, listening to news reports from Al-Jazeera.
"We don't need Ethiopia," said Nimo Abraham, 54, of New Hope, who lost her father and brother to fighting between the two nations. "They are there to attack and kill our people and to commit genocide."
Many, like Abraham, said decades of animosity and bloodshed between the two nations cannot be forgotten. Others said they've lost family to Ethiopian wars, too, but that Ethiopia is Somalia's best chance for stability.
Emotions among local Somalis, who number as many as 25,000 in the Twin Cities, are running high. Minneapolis police were called to the Village Market on Tuesday to quell fighting between the two camps.
Opinions diverge along lines of clan loyalties, religious leanings, political alliances and personal losses. Opponents of any Ethiopian role in Somalia speak of relatives cowering in their homes for fear of being murdered for a cell phone. Supporters said the looting was limited to a few hours before troops arrived.
Deep divisions lead many of Minnesota's 20,000 Ethiopian immigrants to believe that any involvement by their homeland is a waste of time.
"Most Ethiopians support the military but not the government," said Moges Kebede, comparing the situation to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Kebede, editor in chief of St. Paul-based Mestawet Ethiopian Newspaper, a monthly publication with reporters in Ethiopia, said many believe the invasion is intended to provide political cover for problems within Ethiopia's borders.
"People are starving, people are dying because of disease, and (the government is) buying ammunition," said Amano Dube, a Champlin resident granted political asylum from Ethiopia 12 years ago. "If you ask any Ethiopian, the majority will say they're not happy about this because they ought to be helping their own citizens."
Area Somalis agree it would have been better if the United States or Europe had answered Somalia's cry for help. But they disagree on whether Ethiopian aid is better than none at all.
"I think this is great," said Omar Yusuf, 48, of Minneapolis. "The government will make it fair and equal for everyone."
He said he hopes Ethiopian troops and the transitional government reverse the appropriation of homes, businesses and farms that happened during the 16 years Somalia was without a government.
"But how will they make it equal?" said Mohamed Hussein, 38, of Minneapolis, one of the few invasion opponents to venture into Starbucks. "By force?"
Hussein said many people fear the invasion is a ruse to divide Somalia into several smaller countries.
Invasion supporters said Somalia needs Ethiopia's help to eradicate al-Qaida militants who flooded into the country under the six-month rule of the Union of Islamic Courts.
"People were tired of Islamic extremists," said Mohamed Hassan, 32, of Minneapolis. "These people brought in foreign jihadists. People are happy this is changing."
But change could bring a return of the warlords under whom lawlessness flourished, said Abdul Ahmed, 24, of Rochester. Meetings in recent days between the transitional government and Ethiopian officials with the warlords do not bode well, he said.
"There will be more tribal civil war," said Ahmed, a member of the Minnesota National Guard. "The Islamists united people. Ethiopia depends on the warlords or worse."
Mary Bauer can be reached at mbauer@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5311.
COMING EVENTS
Protest: The Somali Institute for Peace and Justice in Minneapolis is hosting a protest against the presence of Ethiopia's army in Somalia. Protesters will gather at 9 a.m. Saturday at Franklin and Chicago Avenues in Minneapolis.
Debate: Omar Jamal of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center is trying to organize a formal debate between Somalians on Saturday. Details have yet to be worked out.
Source: Pioneer Press, Dec 29, 2006