Ethiopian troops close in on Somalia’s capital

LONDON – Ethiopian troops fought their way closer to the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Tuesday, pushing back militias loyal to the Islamic Courts movement that has until now controlled much of the country, and that vowed to wage a guerilla war against Ethiopia that would last “years and years and years.”

Aid workers said the number of injured had surpassed 800, as thousands of civilians battered by drought, floods and now by rockets and mortars continued to flee villages in droves.

United Nations officials warned of a dire humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

It was unclear Tuesday whether Ethiopian troops were preparing to invade Mogadishu or merely surround it.

But David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, and others noted that a force of 15,000 troops failed to subdue the capital in 1993, when 18 American troops were killed in an incident depicted in the book and film “Black Hawk Down.”

At a news conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he had no plans to push into Mogadishu, but he also said the campaign was only half completed, and that the only option now was to win.

He said he was pleased at how swiftly the campaign had gone, and that 3,000 to 4,000 Ethiopian troops had “broken the back” of the Islamic Courts movement, which he has repeatedly accused of supporting secessionist groups inside Ethiopia.

As the Ethiopian troops pushed ahead, however, the Islamic Courts militias seemed to withdraw almost simultaneously from their frontline positions, suggesting a coordinated strategy rather than a chaotic retreat, analysts said.

The U.S. State Department signaled support Tuesday for Ethiopian military operations against Somalia, noting that Ethiopia has had “genuine security concerns” stemming from the rise of Islamist forces in its eastern neighbor.

Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos also said that the Ethiopian military acted at the request of Somalia’s government. Gallegos said he had no information on whether the U.S. has been bolstering the Ethiopian military through delivery of supplies.