WAR

WAR

Did it catch your attention that there is a war going on in Africa? Ethiopia is going at it with its neighbor, Somalia.

Ethiopia is a country with a Christian government and a 50 % Muslim population. It has the largest, best-equipped army in sub-Saharan Africa.

Somalia, is a country at war with itself in the name of religion. There is no central government that has the backing of a majority of the people. Somalia became an independent state in 1960.

Warlords control many areas of the country. In this respect, it is similar to Afghanistan.

The United Nations has backed a group called the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) located in Baidoa. The TFG is weakly supported.

The Supreme Islamic Courts Council is also a group fighting to gain control. It controls Mogadishu (which is the traditional capital) and most of the other large cities in the country.

Ethiopia's attacks are in support of the TFG. It claims its attacks and incursions are aimed at preventing the SICC from attacking it.

Thirteen years ago the USA stuck it's nose into the Somali civil war when we sent troops into Mogadishu. To see what happened there, watch the movie Black Hawk Down.