The Battle of Baidoa began on 20 December 2006 when the
Somali transitional federal government forces (TFG) allied with
Ethiopian forces stationed there attacked advancing
Islamic Courts Union
The Islamic Courts Union ( so, Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga) was a legal and political organization formed to address the lawlessness that had been gripping Somalia since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 during the Somali Civil War.
Th ...
(ICU) forces along with 500 alleged
Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
n troops and
mujahideen
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
arrayed against them.
The battle began with most reports hourly depicting the government forces defecting and its position on the verge of collapse. The TFG, along with its allies in the
Juba Valley Alliance
The Juba Valley Alliance (JVA; Somali: ''Isbahaysiga Dooxada Jubba'') is a political faction of the Somali Civil War. It was the primary opponent of the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM) and the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) v ...
(JVA), had certainly been on the retreat since the June offensives of the ICU. By the opening of the battle in December, Baidoa was invested with attacks coming in at least three directions.
Strong Ethiopian reinforcements rapidly changed the battle from one in which the TFG was on the defensive, through a strong series of counterattacks, to an Ethiopian/TFG decisive victory. Ethiopian armor, artillery, and air forces proved instrumental against the ICU's militia-based army.
Timeline
20 December 2006
On 20 December, heavy shooting broke out between Somali government troops and Islamists southeast of
Baidoa
Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.
Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...
[Fighting erupts on Somali front near govt stronghold]
Reuters where the Islamists claimed to have taken the government's military base in
Daynuunay. The conflict thereafter moved north to the Islamist stronghold in
Moode Moode[Heavy fighting erupts in Somalia]
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
Heavy weapons, including artillery, rockets and mortars were involved.
[ Ferocious fighting continues closer to the government base of Baidoa]
Shabelle Media Network
Reuters Initial claims of casualties in this area were at least ten dead ICU militiamen and forty TFG soldiers wounded.
[Heavy fighting rages near Baidoa, the government base]
SomaliNet Later claims of ICU casualties by the TFG were 71 Islamic soldiers dead and 221 injured, including two dead foreign fighters. The TFG claimed its own casualties were 3 dead and 7 wounded while the ICU claimed to have killed 7 government soldiers.
[Skirmishes in Somalia follow agreement to resume peace talks]
Associated Press
Fighting was reported on many fronts around the capital in
Iidale village (55 km south of Baidoa),
Buulo Jadid (23 km north of Baidoa, also spelled Bullo Jadid) and
Manaas (30 km southwest of Baidoa).
[Residents flee fighting near Baidoa]
Reuters One TFG death and numerous injured civilians were reported in Iidale.
Shabelle Media Network A later report raised the casualties to three soldiers killed and two injured. Thirteen trucks filled with Ethiopian reinforcements were reported en route to the fighting.
[
An AFP report mentioned the TFG claimed the attack on Iidale was led by Abu Taha al-Sudan, who is "wanted by Washington for carrying out attacks against its embassies in east Africa in 1998 and against an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya in 2002."
This report raised the death toll from the artillery duel in Iidale to 12, and added that the government captured 30 "armed vehicles" (presumably ]technicals
Technicals may refer to:
* Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle often used in civil conflict
* TECHNICALS, a clothing brand owned by Blacks Leisure Group
See also
* Technical (disambiguation)
* Cambridge Technicals
Cambridge Techn ...
). It also contradicted the fall of Daynuunay to the ICU: "'The fighting is so fierce, but government forces are still controlling Daynuunay,' said Issak Adan Mursaley, a resident in Deynunay."[Clashes broaden between Somali Islamist and government troops ]
AFP
Meanwhile, an EU peace-brokering commission led by Louis Michel
Louis Michel (born 2 September 1947) is a Belgian politician. He served in the government of Belgium as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2004 and was European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid from 2004 to 2009. From 20 ...
landed at Baidoa and then Mogadishu to meet, respectively, with the TFG and ICU representatives.[EU commissioner Louis Michel arrives in Mogadishu]
Shabelle Media Networks Discussions yielded the agreement to meet in Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
, Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
at an unspecified future date.[Govt, Islamic rivals to hold peace talks]
Associated Press
In Dadaab
Dadaab ( so, Dhadhaab) is a semi-arid town in Garissa County, Kenya. It is the site of a UNHCR base hosting 223,420 registered refugees and asylum seekers in three camps (Dagahaley, Hagadera and Ifo) as of 13 May 2019, making it the third-largest ...
, Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, Wendy Chamberlin
Wendy Jean Chamberlin (born 12 August 1948) is a veteran diplomat who has served in the United States Department of State and USAID, worked for the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), and served as President of the Middle East Institute un ...
, said camps there accounted for 34,000 refugees fleeing the fighting and floods in Somalia, but that number is expected to grow to 80,000 if fighting continues. The World Food Programme
The World Food Programme; it, Programma alimentare mondiale; es, Programa Mundial de Alimentos; ar, برنامج الأغذية العالمي, translit=barnamaj al'aghdhiat alealami; russian: Всемирная продовольствен ...
(WFP) is attempting to provide relief, but floods and mud have hampered ground transportation.[Political crisis in Somalia escalates]
NDTV
Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim Bilal, speaking for the ICU, claimed fighting was going its way in Iidale and Buulo Jadid, saying they captured two technicals, killed nine soldiers and had taken prisoners in the fighting.
dpa German Press Agency
21 December 2006
On 21 December, Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
President Adde Muse
Mohamud Muse Hersi ( so, Maxamuud Muuse Xirsi Cadde, ar, محمد موسى حرسي; 1 July 1937 – 8 February 2017), also known as Adde Musa, was a Somali politician. He was the President of the Puntland region of Somalia from 8 January 2005 t ...
claimed ICU casualties were heavy in the fighting around Baidoa, sustaining 75 dead and 125 wounded, along with the loss of 30 vehicles burned or captured.[Islamists suffered heavy casualties, says Puntland president]
Garowe Online
Also reported on the 21st, fighting in Iidale and Daynuunay was said to have started the prior morning and continued through the next day. No end to the fighting seemed imminent, as both sides continued to gather reinforcements. Casualty figures were unavailable, but the numbers were expected to be in the hundreds easily. The report went on to refute the ICU claim of victory, and stated that the government was again in possession of Iidale and had killed foreign fighters. The government also captured dozens of Islamist students who took up arms, sufficient in quantity to fill three lorries.[Clashes enter the second day, government may have upper hand]
SomaliNet
Sketchy, unattributed and unconfirmable reports stated Baidoa was on the "brink of collapse," and put the odds of fighters in the battle at 10-to-1 in favor of the ICU, with unconfirmed reports that the ICU are being provided with "high-tech weaponry, trainers and even fighters from many Muslim countries and Eritrea".[Baidao on the brink of collapse]
SomaliNet
22 December 2006
By 22 December, TFG refuted assertions of collapse when it claimed to have inflicted 700 casualties on the ICU. The ICU claimed to have killed more than 200 government troops.[http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6049]
SomaliNet
Contrary to ICU claims, the TFG said it was advancing. Reports put TFG troops in Safar Noles
Ṣafar ( ar, صَفَر) also spelt as Safer in Turkish language, Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The Arabic word ''ṣafar'' means "travel, migration", corresponding to the pre-Islamic Arabian time period when musl ...
, on the approaches to Dinsoor
Dinsoor ( so, Diinsoor) is a town in the southwestern Bay region of Somalia.Waaxda Dhexe ee Istaatistikada, p.18 It is the center of the Dinsoor District.
Demographics
Dinsoor has a population of around 28,000 inhabitants. The broader Dinsoor Dis ...
.[Somalia: War bulletin - December 22nd]
SomaliNet
Nearly 20 Ethiopian tanks were seen heading toward the front line. According to government sources Ethiopia has 20 T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks ...
tanks and four attack helicopters in Baidoa. The tanks were reported to be splitting into two groups heading towards fighting in Daynuunay and Iidale.[Ethiopian tanks roll in Somali battle's fourth day]
Reuters Ethiopia may have as many as 50 tanks and other armored vehicles in the country.[Ethiopian Ethiopian tanks roll into Somalia]
dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Civilian casualties were reported as dozens killed and over 200 wounded.
IRIN
To the north, in Mudug
Mudug ( so, Mudug; it, Mudugh) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north-central Somalia. The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005.
Overview
Physiographically, Mudug is bordered to the west by Ethiopia,Országismertető - Szomália ...
, 500 Ethiopian troops with eight tanks and 30 pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns were headed for Bandiradley, an Islamic Courts stronghold in central Somalia, according to witnesses and Islamic Courts officials. The Council of Islamic Courts said they would send ground troops to attack on Saturday, instead of fighting from a distance with heavy weapons as they have been doing so far. "Our troops have not started to attack. From tomorrow the attack will start," said Ibrahim Shukri Abuu-Zeynab, an Islamic Courts spokesman.[Somalia Civilians flee fighting]
Al Jazeera
A TFG press release stated a unit of 500 Eritrean troops with artillery and other heavy weapons had reinforced Burhakaba
Burhakaba ( so, Buurhakaba) is a town located in the Bay region in Somalia.
The town takes its name from a big mountain in the city's center.
Overview
Burhakaba is the second largest town in the Bay region, with a reported population of 360,795 ...
. It claimed TFG troops had successfully destroyed an ICU force in Dinsoor, killing all the commanders, forcing the rest to surrender, and resulting in five foreign fighters committing suicide rather than face capture.[Somalia: Government press release - war situation]
SomaliNet
Nineteen bodies of Islamic fighters were found in Moode Moode by an Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
photographer. Reports that the ICU is forcing people to fight in Baidoa are claimed by a captured Islamic fighter.[Carnage as Somalia "in state of war]
CNN
The Council of Islamic Courts leader said that Somalia was in "a state of war" with the TFG and Ethiopia.[Thousands flee as war escalates]
CNN
23 December 2006
Fighting continued in and around Baidoa
Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.
Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...
, particularly at Iidale and Dinsoor; approximately 60 and 120 kilometres south of Baidoa, respectively. Iidale was reportedly captured by the Islamists.[Islamists 'capture' frontline position]
Sunday Herald Sun[Somali Courts capture government position]
Middle East Online
Somali Information Minister of the TFG, Ali Jama, quoted that "The combined total from two fronts is over 500 Islamists killed since Wednesday".
AFP He later went on to report that most of those that were killed were children sent by the ICU to fight in the fronts east and south of Baidoa.
The ICU vowed all out war against the Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
n-backed transitional government, with Islamic commander Hassan Bullow stating that "This war is a religious obligation and we are here to fight for our religion against the enemies until we die." Islamic officials scorned the African Union and Arab League for doing nothing, saying "The world is silent today while Ethiopian forces are killing us inside our country, but tomorrow when we defeat them and chase them things will be changed, we will enter their territories and at that moment the world will shout".[Ethiopian tanks move into battle with Somalia Islamists]
ABC[Somali Islamists urge Muslims to join war on Ethiopia]
Reuters
One resident saw Islamist fighters pushing toward Daynunay, the government's forward military base about southeast of its encircled base at Baidoa.
"This morning, I heard sounds of rockets being fired from the frontline," Hassan Yusuf added. He said he saw three dead Ethiopian soldiers taken by Islamist fighters to a village close to Daynunay on Friday, while wounded Islamist fighters were being treated in nearby Buur Hakaba.
Islamists, for the first time, called upon international fighters to join their cause stating "We're saying our country is open to Muslims worldwide. Let them fight in Somalia and wage jihad, and God willing, attack Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
".[Somali Islamists urge Muslim fighters to join jihad](_blank)
Reuters
ICU defense chief, Sheik Yusuf Mohammed Siad Indho-adde
Yusuf Mohammed Siad Indhacade, ( so, Yuusuf Maxamed Siyaad "Indhacadde") aka "Inda'ade" (White Eyes) was a Somali islamist and former Minister. In 2011 he was a General in the Somali National Army. He hails from the Ayr sub-clan, part of the Hab ...
, made a world-wide appeal for jihadists to come to Somalia, and claimed the ICU had taken Tiyoglow, Bakol province. Independent journalists were also shown that Iidale had been taken by the ICU, where they were shown bodies of Ethiopian troops. The TFG denied the claims as "cheap propaganda."[Ethiopian bodies seen in Idale town]
SomaliNet
The International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
expressed their concern over those caught up in the fighting, quoting the figure of 200 wounded fighters being brought into hospitals on both sides.[
]
24 December 2006
Islamist Abdulahi Gedow, commander of forces in Burhakaba, claimed to have seized Gasarta, less than 12 km south of Baidoa.[ Somalia: Islamists claim they seized Gasarte quite closer to Baidoa]
Shabelle Media Networks This would be an advance of 10 km north of Daynunay (which is 22 km southeast of Baidoa). Islamists claimed that five Ethiopian tanks were destroyed.[Ethiopian planes bomb Somali areas: witnesses]
Reuters
TFG Defence Minister Barre Shire Hirale claimed to have retaken Iidale after a clash in which over 100 were killed.[Over 100 killed in clashes]
SA
In Kismayo, 1,000 men were said to be leaving for the battle, presumably to fight on behalf of the ICU.[Ethiopia fights rival Somali Islamists]
Reuters
Ethiopian airstrikes hit targets across Somalia, including Dinsoor
Dinsoor ( so, Diinsoor) is a town in the southwestern Bay region of Somalia.Waaxda Dhexe ee Istaatistikada, p.18 It is the center of the Dinsoor District.
Demographics
Dinsoor has a population of around 28,000 inhabitants. The broader Dinsoor Dis ...
and Burhakaba
Burhakaba ( so, Buurhakaba) is a town located in the Bay region in Somalia.
The town takes its name from a big mountain in the city's center.
Overview
Burhakaba is the second largest town in the Bay region, with a reported population of 360,795 ...
in the Bay region as part of the counter-offensive in the battle. To the north, Bandiradley in Mudug
Mudug ( so, Mudug; it, Mudugh) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north-central Somalia. The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005.
Overview
Physiographically, Mudug is bordered to the west by Ethiopia,Országismertető - Szomália ...
and Beledweyne
Beledweyne ( so, Beledweyne, ar, بلد وين, it, Belet Uen) is a city in central Somalia. Beledweyne District is the capital city of the Hiran region.
The city is situated in the Shebelle Valley riverine near the Ethiopian border, 210 miles ...
in Hiiran were also struck.[Ethiopian Airstrikes Target Islamists in Somalia]
Voice of America
TFG Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jele stated government forces had advanced within three kilometres of Bur-Hakaba and were poised to re-capture the town.[Somalia: Clashes spread in Mudug and Hiran regions]
SomaliNet
A Somalian website claimed that thousands of angry people rallied in the capital of Mogadishu in protest of the Ethiopian air strikes. The people took to the streets of Mogadishu, forcing business centers to close down and send militia to the front. It also claimed that hundreds of volunteers were registering to join the Islamists.[Anti-Ethiopia rallies in Somalia]
SomaliNet
25 December 2006
Ethiopian airstrikes hit the airports at Mogadishu and Bali-Dogle. The latter airport lies 115 km northwest of Mogadishu in the district of Wanlaweyne about half-way between the capital and the front lines at Burhakaba.[Somalia: Ethiopian helicopter down, claim Islamists]
SomaliNet At least one person was reported dead and others wounded in the Mogadishu attack. The Islamic Courts tightened security in the capital as a result.[Somalia: Islamic Courts to tighten security in the capital]
SomaliNet
Ethiopian forces were reported to have taken both Beledweyne
Beledweyne ( so, Beledweyne, ar, بلد وين, it, Belet Uen) is a city in central Somalia. Beledweyne District is the capital city of the Hiran region.
The city is situated in the Shebelle Valley riverine near the Ethiopian border, 210 miles ...
and Buuloburde
Buloburde, also spelled Buloburti or Bulobarde, is a city in Somalia's central Hiran region.
Overview
Buloburde is situated along the Shabelle River, near Jalalaqsi. It is the center of the Buloburde District.
In March 2014, Somali Armed For ...
in Hiran, with unconfirmed reports that "hundreds of Ethiopian tanks" were moving along the road towards Jowhar
Jowhar ( so, Jowhar, ar, جوهر) is the capital city of Hirshabelle state of Somalia. Jowhar is also the administrative capital of Middle Shabelle Regions of Somalia, region of Somalia.
Along with Baidoa, it used to form the joint adminis ...
. This presents a threat of a major flanking of ICU positions in Tiyoglow and Burhakaba
Burhakaba ( so, Buurhakaba) is a town located in the Bay region in Somalia.
The town takes its name from a big mountain in the city's center.
Overview
Burhakaba is the second largest town in the Bay region, with a reported population of 360,795 ...
by striking towards the Middle Shabelle
Middle Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Dhexe, ar, شبيلي الوسطى, it, Medio Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Overview
It is bordered by the Somali regions of Galguduud, Hiran, Lower Shabelle (Shabell ...
area. The Ethiopian forces were accompanied by Somali warlord Mohamed Omar Habeb Mohamed Omar Habeb ( so, Maxamed Cumar Xabeeb), commonly known as Mohamed Dheere or Mohamed Dhere (died November 15, 2012), was a Somali faction leader based out of the city of Jowhar. He hailed from the Abgaal subclan of Hawiye. He also had signif ...
'Mohamed Dhere,' who wished to reestablish his control over Jowhar.[ICU lost key towns in Somalia]
SomaliNet
Ethiopian forces had also reportedly encircled both Dinsoor and Burhakaba.
Reuters Fighting had advanced near Dinsoor to Rama-Addey. The TFG asserted it was within a few kilometres of capturing Burhakaba.[Ethiopia making progress in Somalia fighting]
SomaliNet
The ICU's "commando-type arm" under the command of veteran of Afghanistan, Adan Ayrow was said to be giving stiff resistance.[Somalia: War bulletin for December 25, 2006]
SomaliNet Yet late in the day, fighting was reported within Dinsoor itself. Dinsoor resident Mohammed Hassan reported that Ethiopian forces had taken the town.[Somalia: Intense fighting around Diinsoor reported]
Garowe Online
26 December 2006
ICU forces reportedly abandoned their positions in Burhakaba and Dinsoor after days of heavy fighting, leaving behind a number of heavy weapons and other military equipment.[Somalia: Breaking News - Islamic Courts vacate Burhakaba]
SomaliNet Witnesses reported that ICU fighters were retreating from the Battle of Baidoa on numerous fronts and returning to Mogadishu in convoys.[Islamic fighters quitting Somalia front]
AP Islamic councilman Mohamoud Ibrahim Suley confirmed the withdrawal. Troops were also reported to have withdrawn to Daynuunay. Ethiopian troops arrived in Burhakaba
Burhakaba ( so, Buurhakaba) is a town located in the Bay region in Somalia.
The town takes its name from a big mountain in the city's center.
Overview
Burhakaba is the second largest town in the Bay region, with a reported population of 360,795 ...
after the Islamists vacated it.[Somalia: Islamists lost Dinsor and Bur-Hakaba towns as Ethiopia advances]
SomaliNet An Ethiopian government spokesman also confirmed that Ethiopian troops also arrived in Dinsoor
Dinsoor ( so, Diinsoor) is a town in the southwestern Bay region of Somalia.Waaxda Dhexe ee Istaatistikada, p.18 It is the center of the Dinsoor District.
Demographics
Dinsoor has a population of around 28,000 inhabitants. The broader Dinsoor Dis ...
unopposed.[Islamic forces retreat in Somalia](_blank)
CNN Despite this, local militiamen were seen by witnesses to be stealing boxes of food and medicine, further hampering any humanitarian efforts
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...
.[Ethiopian jets fire on retreating Somali Islamists]
Reuters Airstrikes also continued, this time on Leego, just east of Burhakaba. Three people were reportedly killed in the space of thirty minutes.[
Ethiopia's Prime Minister, ]Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi Asres (Tigrinya and ; , born Legesse Zenawi Asres; 9 May 1955 – 20 August 2012) was an Ethiopian soldier and politician who served as President of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995 and then Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 until his ...
, announced Ethiopia would likely withdraw its troops within a few weeks. He said their main goal was to damage the ICU's military capabilities, sense of invincibility and ensure a more balanced setting for peace talks. The United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
also announced it would support Ethiopian military operations, saying the country has "genuine security concerns," although it was unclear in what capacity the US would support the nation. The United Nations envoy to Somalia has urged an end to the fighting, and Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, the current President of the UN Security Council, has proposed a draft statement calling for an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of all international forces. Other nations, such as the US, Britain, France and Russia, have objected to the statement, saying peace talks and agreement are necessary before troops can withdraw.
See also
* Military history of Africa
The military history of Africa is one of the oldest military histories in the world. Africa is a continent of many regions with diverse populations speaking hundreds of different languages and practicing an array of cultures and religion
Reli ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Baidoa
2006 in Ethiopia
2006 in Somalia
Baidoa
Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.
Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...
Baidoa
Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.
Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...
Baidoa
Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.
Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...
Bay, Somalia
December 2006 events in Africa