Warning: another bum-out Africa post. But then again, very little good happens on the Dark Continent so here we go.
The Horn of Africa is one of the most volatile regions on earth, and no surprise since it consists of countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Whenever I thought about Somalia or Ethiopia, images of famine, dead US Army Rangers (Josh Hartnett is wicked sexy!) and Stevie Wonder, The Boss, etc singing “We Are the World” came to mind. Eritrea was always hard to find on a map.
Now, Eritrea and Ethiopia are on the verge of yet another war over their disputed border after Eritrea cut off UN peacekeepers from fuel supplies, forcing them to leave. The two countries are now facing off without a buffer of blue helmets and they have already fought a war for the same territory that cost tens of thousands of lives. Lately they’ve been fighting each other in a proxy war in Somalia with US-backed Ethiopia invading Somalia and semi-defeating the Eritrean-backed Union of Islamic Courts. Pretty soon the “proxy” could be dropped and full on beef could break out.
Also, Ethiopia is already fighting a war with Somali separatists in their own Ogaden region and another in Mogadishu. Last week at least 20 people were killed in a grenade attack in northern Somalia, mostly Ethiopians looking for work.
Oh, and the US has threatened to designate Eritrea a haven for terrorists for allowing members of the Union of Islamic Courts to hang there. And the US military (part of Africom) has a mega base in Djibouti, which also happens to be wedged between Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. Outlook…nyet good.
TAGS: attack, Islam, Slam, war
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS
February 15th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
What a bummer. And it’s all in the African region the US has the most military and $$$ ties to. But no one cares. It’s not Darfur, so we can’t blame China. Hey Clooney, tell the US to stop funding Ethiopia $500 mil a year as it kills its own people, k bro? Darfuriousity is not getting you–or the world–anywhere. In fact, Chad-Darf is worse than ever. So let’s try being Horn-y!!! Our tax money fuels half the beef there.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Try being Horn-y…great call!
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
hey, have you seen this?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7274462.stm
“US bombs Islamist town in Somalia”