Somalia appeals to Libya for war assistance

Wednesday, June 16, 1999

NAIROBI [MENL] -- Somali warlord Hussein Mohamed Aideed, acting as a go-between Eritrea and the Ethiopian Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in the border war between Ethiopia and Eitrea, has asked Libya for assistance.

The war in the Horn of Africa continues to widen -- now drawing in Kenya and possibly a deeper Libya.

Kenya and Ethiopia have agreed to mount joint operations along their common border against Ethiopian rebels. The OLF and ethnic Somali Al- Ittihad Al-Islamiya rebels operating out of Somalia and Kenya, have received support from Eritrea.

For its part, Ethiopia, has reportedly launched another assault on the forces of Aideed.

A joint communique issued at the end last week's meeting between Kenya and Ethiopia criticized "certain countries of the sub-region for supporting the terrorist activities of the OLF and Al-Ittihad. The statement was aimed at Eritrea, which has sponsored the OLF in an attempt to divert Ethiopian military resources from the two countries' ongoing border war. The OLF reportedly infiltrates both Ethiopia and Kenya from bases in Somalia's Gedo region. The rebels have a main base in Coriolei, 77 miles southwest of Mogadishu.