Specific information on the current situation in the Gedo region is limited among the sources consulted by the DIRB. According to several sources, Ethiopian troops crossed the Somalia-Ethiopia frontier to the Gedo region on 9 August 1996 to attack bases of the Islamic group, al-Ittihad al-Islami, (sometimes referred to as the Union of Islam, Islamic Union and Islamic Unity) (AFP 9 Aug. 1996; AP 9 Aug. 1996; Reuters 10 Aug. 1996a; ibid. 9 Aug. 1996; The New York Times 10 Aug. 1996).

AP and Reuters report that Ethiopian air and land forces attacked the Ethiopian town of Dolo and the Somali towns of Beled-Hawo and Luk, which had been under the control of al-Ittihad (AP 9 Aug. 1996; Reuters 9 Aug. 1996; The New York Times 10 Aug. 1996). AFP also reports that these three towns were attacked, as was the Somali border town of Bohol Garas (9 Aug. 1996). Reuters reports that the Ethiopians later withdrew from Dolo and Beled-Hawo (10 Aug. 1996a).

According to statements attributed to al-Ittihad and reported by AFP, the Marehan-backed Somali National Front (SNF) joined in the fighting on the Ethiopian side against their Islamist rivals in the region (AFP 9 Aug. 1996). Reuters reported the same claim and quoted a diplomat who stated that the SNF pursued the al-Ittihad fighters toward Gabba Harre (10 Aug. 1996b). On 14 August 1996 Reuters reported that the SNF had denied fighting on the side of the Ethiopians, but that the SNF leader had not condemned the Ethiopian attack.

Some sources reported that the fighting had affected Kenya, resulting in a curfew being declared and the border with Somalia being closed in the area (Reuters 10 Aug. 1996a; AP 10 Aug. 1996; AFP 10 Aug. 1996a). AFP reported that Somalis fled across the border to flee the fighting (ibid.).

The Xinhua News Agency and AFP also reported that planes of the Ethiopian air and ground forces had attacked central Somalia, near Galkayo (Xinhua 10 Aug. 1996; AFP 10 Aug. 1996b).

Radio Ethiopia confirmed that Ethiopia had launched an attack in Somalia, and stated that the action would be repeated if necessary (11 Aug. 1996; AFP 12 Aug. 1996). Ethiopia claimed that 232 Muslim Islamists had been killed and 20 captured in the attacks (Reuters 14 Aug. 1996; Radio Ethiopia 14 Aug. 1996). Radio Ethiopia reported that the Ethiopian forces had suffered 20 killed and 17 wounded, while Reuters reported an al-Ittihad claim that 150 Ethiopians had been killed (ibid.; Reuters 14 Aug. 1996). The Xinhua News Agency reported that North Mogadishu leader Ali Mahdi Mohamed claimed that hundreds of civilians had been killed and thousands of families had fled the Gedo region (10 Aug. 1996). For additional information on the attack, please consult the attachments.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 12 August 1996. "Ethiopia Confirms Attacks Inside Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996a. "Ethiopian Attack Inside Somalia Spilled Over Into Kenya." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996b. Ali Musa Abdi. "New Ethiopian Attack in Somalia: Field Radio Reports." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. "Urgent Ethiopian Troops Attack Somalia." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 10 August 1996. Chege Mbitiru. "Fighting Continues Between Somali Factions, Ethiopians." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. Haroun Hassan. "Ethiopian Army Attacks Islamic Base in Somalia." (NEXIS)

The New York Times. 10 August 1996. Final Edition. James C. McKinley Jr. "Ethiopian Army Attacks 3 Towns in Border Region of Somalia." (NEXIS)

Radio Ethiopia [Addis Ababa, in Amharic]. 14 August 1996. "Ethiopian Army Attacks 'Terrorist Camps' in Somalia; More Than 250 Killed." (BBC Summary 16 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

Radio Ethiopia External Service [Addis Ababa, in English]. 11 August 1996. "Action Against 'Extremist Group' Exploiting 'Situation in Somalia'." (BBC Summary 13 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

Reuters. 14 August 1996. Tsegaye Tadesse. "Ethiopia Says It Killed More Than 200 in Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996a. BC Cycle. Peter Smerdon. "Ethiopian Troops Said to Pull Back from Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996b. BC Cycle. Peter Smerdon. "Somali Fundamentalists Flee After Ethiopia Attack." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. BC Cycle. "Somali Faction Accuses Ethiopia of Invasion." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua News Agency. 10 August 1996. "Mahdi Accuses Ethiopia of Invading Somalia." (NEXIS)

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 12 August 1996. "Ethiopia Confirms Attacks Inside Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996. "Ethiopian Attack Inside Somalia Spilled Over Into Kenya." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996. Ali Musa Abdi. "New Ethiopian Attack in Somalia: Field Radio Reports." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. "Urgent Ethiopian Troops Attack Somalia." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 10 August 1996. Chege Mbitiru. "Fighting Continues Between Somali Factions, Ethiopians." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. Haroun Hassan. "Ethiopian Army Attacks Islamic Base in Somalia." (NEXIS)

The New York Times. 10 August 1996. Final Edition. James C. McKinley Jr. "Ethiopian Army Attacks 3 Towns in Border Region of Somalia." (NEXIS)

Radio Ethiopia [Addis Ababa, in Amharic]. 14 August 1996. "Ethiopian Army Attacks 'Terrorist Camps' in Somalia; More Than 250 Killed." (BBC Summary 16 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

Radio Ethiopia External Service [Addis Ababa, in English]. 11 August 1996. "Action Against 'Extremist Group' Exploiting 'Situation in Somalia'." (BBC Summary 13 Aug. 1996/NEXIS)

Reuters. 14 August 1996. Tsegaye Tadesse. "Ethiopia Says It Killed More Than 200 in Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996. BC Cycle. Peter Smerdon. "Ethiopian Troops Said to Pull Back from Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996. BC Cycle. Peter Smerdon. "Somali Fundamentalists Flee After Ethiopia Attack." (NEXIS)

_____. 10 August 1996. BC Cycle. Mohamed Guled. "Ethiopian Troops Reported Out of Western Somalia." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. BC Cycle. "Somali Faction Accuses Ethiopia of Invasion." (NEXIS)

_____. 9 August 1996. BC Cycle. Peter Smerdon. "Aid Workers Say Ethiopia Attacks Somali Towns." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua News Agency. 10 August 1996. "Mahdi Accuses Ethiopia of Invading Somalia." (NEXIS)