Somalia: Ethiopian Military Disarm Somali goverment forces

[Coeus]

Dolow — The Ethiopian forces in Gedo region of southern Somalia on Thursday ordered Somali forces and Ahlu Sunna Waljama fighters to put their arms.

Somali government military official confirm Shabelle the incident, adding that Ahlu Sunna fighters opposed the order from the Ethiopians.

The official, who asked his name not be used in the media for security reasons, said that three soldiers from Ethiopian forces came to them, noting that they informed them to put their arms soon.

He said the Ethiopian step of disarming came after an Ahlu Sunna official held meetings with members of international community in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. He pointed out the official from Ahlu Sunna was given a lot of weapons smuggling a narrow path between Ethiopian and Kenyan border then to Somalia.

The government military officer added that they held various meetings with Ethiopian military to know the reason behind the disarmament but all efforts ended in vain.

Somalia's top TFG officials were immediately available for comment to the incident.

Separately, the spokesman of Ahlu Sunna fighters in Dolow, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, denied those reports. He said it is baseless and false that Ethiopians oreded Ahlu Sunna to disarm.