Somalia Islamists threaten to invade Kenya

Somali Islamists battling the transitional government of the Horn of Africa nation have reiterated their threats to invade Kenya unless the east African nation pullout it's military from the common border.

The local Daily Nation newspaper reported on Thursday that Sheikh Hassan Yakoub Ali, an official of a coalition of Islamists ruling Kismayo town, near the country's border with Somalia, said Kenya and Ethiopia have planned to deploy their forces in Somalia.

Sheikh Ali told both Kenya and Ethiopia to withdraw their forces from Somali borders. "These countries must redeploy their forces from Somali soil. Otherwise, their armies will meet defeat and humiliation," he said.

Sheikh Ali said the hostile forces will not be welcome in Somalia. "You will collide with the same insurgents that forced the Ethiopian troops to withdraw from Somalia."

Somalia's government fears Al-Qaeda is positioning itself in the capital Mogadishu as a base to launch attacks across the African continent.

The newspaper said that Kenyan soldiers in the northern region's border in Wajir town seized 1,000 bags of sugar smuggled into the country from Somalia.

"There have reports that the Islamists are financing their war campaign with money from contraband sold in Kenya which include sugar and electronics," the newspaper reported.

A Kenyan military officer in charge of Wajir station, who sought anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the press, told the Daily Nation that the intercepted sugar was part of assorted goods that illegally crossed into the country.

"They were ferried in two heavy commercial vehicles," the officer with the rank of Major said. "We are now investigating whether illegal firearms from Somalia can be hidden inside the sugar." The vehicles are now held up at Wajir military base.

Somalia's capital Mogadishu has again been rocked by intense fighting between government forces and the militant group Al-Shabab, which has links to Al-Qaeda. At least 22 people have been killed this week in the latest battle, including Mogadishu's chief of police.

Regional analysts said the death of Colonel Ali Said will be a significant setback for the pro-government forces, as he had often been on the frontline encouraging his colleagues to defend their positions.

The Islamist insurgents are determined to oust the western-backed government.

The Somali government has warned that an increasing number of Al-Qaeda members are being drawn to Somalia with the aim of seizing control of the country. It fears that if they succeed, they will create havoc across Africa.

The government has called on African and western nations for logistical and financial support.

Last Saturday, the Hezbul Islam insurgent group accused the Somali government of allowing Ethiopian troops to sneak back into Somalia.

Sheikh Hassan Mahdi, the spokesman of Hezbul Islam, an Islamist group opposing the government, said the Ethiopian forces were in the southern and central regions of Somalia.

"The TFG is behind the Ethiopian troops coming back to Somali territory," said Sheikh Mahdi. "It is part of the government's plan to seek Ethiopian assistance if need arises."

Ethiopia has denied having forces in Somalia.
~Daily Ethopia ~ June 18th, 2009