BELEDWEYN, Somalia — Hundreds of Shebab supporters vowed Wednesday to intensify the Al Qaeda-inspired group's jihad against African Union troops in Somalia.
The demonstration in the central Somali town of Beledweyn was the Islamist insurgent group's reply to a pledge made Monday at a summit of regional states for 2,000 more troops to beef up the beleaguered AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
"The enemies of Allah met in Ethiopia days ago and agreed to fight against the Holy Koran of Allah," Sheikh Yusuf Said Ugas, Shebab leader for Somalia's Hiran region, told the crowd.
"Now we are meeting to unite and fight against them. We will fight to death, until we raise the Islamic flag over this country and establish the greater Islamic state," he said.
The six-member Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announced Monday in Addis Ababa it had decided to rapidly deploy the 2,000 extra troops still needed for AMISOM to reach its intended strength of 8,100.
However, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi ruled out sending troops to the war-torn neighbouring country after pulling out his forces last year following an ill-fated two-year intervention.
"No. We will not send troops to Somalia," he told AFP in Addis Ababa when asked about the possibility of another deployment.
Nonetheless, Meles has previously said he would not hesitate to send troops back if Islamist insurgents seized power.
In Beledweyn, the Shebab cleric said: "Fresh recruitment has already started across the entire country for a united jihad against the enemy, whose aim is to destroy our religion and integrity.
"I call upon all of you, men and women, to stand up and defend your religion, defend your country against the invading infidels and their apostate allies," he added.
On Monday, the Shebab organised a demonstration on the outskirts of Mogadishu protesting against AMISOM's presence and accusing the force of being responsible for the death of hundreds of civilians in the Somali capital.
One Beledweyn resident said the town was locked down for the protest.
"The Shebab group ordered people to gather and enlist for jihad. All businesses were closed down for the duration of the rally. People chanted Allahu Akbar (God is greatest)," Abdi Osman said.
"I believe the Shebab are right to speak out against the IGAD decision. What Somalia doesn't need now is more armies. It will only make things worse. We are totally opposed to the deployment of more troops," Mohamed Moalim Duale, another resident, said.
Since its first Ugandan contingent was deployed in early 2007, AMISOM -- and the Western-backed transitional federal government it is protecting -- has failed to contain the insurgency being waged by Shebab and another group, Hezb al-Islam.
In recent days, Islamist rebels have closed in on the small perimeter of Mogadishu housing the presidency and the other institutions of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's fragile administration.
IGAD appeared to go back on earlier reservations about sending troops from a state directly bordering Somalia but did not specify which member states would provide the troops, saying only it hoped to deploy them by September.
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