Red Countries> Ethiopia

The heightening tensions that have been growing lately between Ethiopia and its neighbour Somalia come at a suspiciously advantageous time for the Bush war. It's certainly not the first time that these two countries have been involved in conflict but given the new political outlook inside Somalia it was something that Bush would want to eventually confront. Surprising then, that suddenly Ethiopia stepped up to the plate to take on this confrontation. The suspicious mind wonders what back door diplomacy and promises have been made from Washington to encourage Ethiopia to this point.

A UN appointed government that has ineffectually operated from the town of Baidoa for the past two years, in an attempt to combat the Warlordism that wracked the country, was nominally ruling neighbouring Somalia. As the Islamic revolution got closer to usurping this government the Ethiopians swore to protect this government at all costs.

Despite repeatedly denying it, some reports suggest that the Ethiopians have been sending troops across the border to Baidoa. Back in July, when the world was in such turmoil, they issued a direct warning to the Somali Islamic Council that they would launch a full-scale invasion if the Islamists entered Baidoa. Since then things have boiled away until this week, October 9th, when again the global conflict looms and the Ethiopians appear to have once more sent troops across the border into Somalia triggering the current crisis there.

Map of Ethiopia