Ambassador dismisses Amnesty International allegation as baseless, ridicules

Addis Ababa, May 10, 2008 (WIC) - Somali Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador Abdikarim Farah, said the recent report issued by Amnesty International regarding Ethiopian troops in Somalia is ridiculous and baseless.

The Ambassador told WIC while in a brief stop over here that Ethiopian troops in collaboration with TFG forces want to bring law and order in Somalia and don’t instigate any war in that country.

Ambassador Abdikarim Farah

Rather they are making tremendous efforts to foster the revival of peace and order in the country, the ambassador stated.

"The parts that hit and run, shelling the people indiscriminately and forcing the people outside of their country and houses should shoulder the responsibility. Those who are committing genocide and creating instability in the country should be condemned and brought to justice," he added.

Ambassador Farah, however, stressed that such biased report puts no damper in the efforts to bring peace and stability in Somalia.

With regard to the current situation in Somalia, he said the political situation in Somalia has been making progress gradually.

The security condition in Somalia has reportedly been showing improvement much better than the previous times, according to him.

The TFG of Somalia, Ethiopia, the international community, the Africa Union and other peace loving countries are also playing their part towards curtailing rarely observed problems, Ambassador Farah said.

As to the humanitarian situations in Somalia, the ambassador said that the problem is not only due to the failure of the Somali people but also that of the international community.

He thus called upon the international community to assist those people who are displaced.