More Ethiopian troops in Somalia, residents say

BAIDOA, Somalia, Aug 20 (Reuters) Residents said they saw more Ethiopian troops heading towards the provincial seat of Somalia's interim government today in a move likely to raise tensions with rival Islamists.

Eleven trucks with about 300 heavily armed Ethiopian soldiers on board passed through the town of Awdiinle, about 30 km from Baidoa where the interim government is based, residents said.

''We have seen Ethiopian troops here in Awdiinle,'' Adam Abdi said.

''They are advancing towards Baidoa. We know these are Ethiopian troops because of their trucks and their uniforms.'' Since July, witnesses have said Ethiopia has moved thousands of troops across the border to protect President Abdullahi Yusuf's fragile government against Islamists who have seized Mogadishu and a large swathe of the south.

Ethiopia has repeatedly denied it has troops in Somalia.

The traditionally Christian country fears a hardline Muslim state on its doorstep and possible Islamist aspirations to claim its southeastern, ethnically Somali region of Ogaden.

Addis Ababa has threatened to ''crush'' the Islamists if they try to expand into Ethiopia or attack Yusuf's government, which has been dealt a blow with the defection of scores of militiamen in recent days to the Islamists.

The rise of the Islamists, who have vowed jihad against troops crossing from Ethiopia, has challenged the authority of Yusuf's administration, formed in Kenya in 2004 in the 14th attempt at central rule since the 1991 ouster of a dictator.

Talks between both sides broke down last month and the issue of foreign troops to assist the government has raised tensions.

''NOT AN OCCUPATION FORCE'' Kenya's deputy foreign affairs minister told reporters last week that the first east African troops would soon be deployed to Somalia. Regional military chiefs had met in Nairobi to discuss the plan.

The Islamists' most powerful leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is on a UN list of al Qaeda associates, condemned this announcement, saying Kenya had ''joined Somalia's enemies.'' Kenya's ambassador to Somalia today rejected this, adding that the decision to deploy troops was made by east Africa regional body IGAD, not Kenya.

''We are not (an enemy) ... We are not sending in an occupation force, we are sending a peace force,'' ambassador Mohamed Affey told Reuters.

''I think it is unfortunate because Kenya is the only country that has come to the help of Somalis in the hour of need.'' In another development, Somalia's government said it had agreed to work with an Eritrean rebel group, renewing charges that Asmara was supporting the Islamists.

''The Eritrean government is playing the dangerous game of becoming a client government (for) forces intending to destabilise the region,'' Yusuf Mohamed Ismail, Somali envoy to the European Union, said in a joint statement with the Eritrean Liberation Front.

Various flights into Mogadishu have fuelled accusations from the government that the Islamists are receiving weapons from Eritrea in preparation for a possible military push against Baidoa. The Islamists and Eritrea both deny that.

Diplomats fear that Ethiopia and old foe Eritrea are using Somalia as a proxy battleground to antagonise each other.

Reuters BDP GC2127