Egypt denies training Somali Islamists (AFP)

ADDIS ABABA -- Egypt Tuesday became the latest in a string of countries to deny accusations by UN experts of violating a 1992 arms embargo on Somalia by training gunmen loyal to a powerful Islamic movement.

Cairo slammed allegations that its military officers trained Islamic fighters as "fallacious and untenable" and expressed shock about the authors' ignorance of Egypt's policy toward Somalia.

In a statement released by its embassy in Addis Ababa, the foreign ministry spokesman "expressed his shock and strong dismay at the inclusion of such totally fallacious and untenable allegations in UN reports prepared by Western experts, whose political affiliations are unknown."

The report, prepared for the United Nations Security Council, "reflects the stark ignorance of those experts about the facts and the premises of Egypt's policy toward Somalia," the statement said.

The UN report paints a grim picture of illegal militarization in Somalia, where the Islamists and weak government are now on the brink of all-out war that many fear could engulf the Horn of Africa region in conflict.

In their 80-page report, the UN experts accuse Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia of supplying weapons to the Islamists, many with Eritrean assistance.

They said that Ethiopia, Uganda and Yemen are providing weapons and troops to the government and that the potential exists for Somalia to become a proxy battleground for arch-foes Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Of all the named countries, only Ethiopia has admitted sending military advisors to help the government but flatly denied sending thousands of troops to protect the feeble administration.

Asmara has dismissed the report's proxy war suggestion as a "fairytale" and said that its conclusions were part of a US-backed plot.

Cairo, which has already protested to the UN, said that it had "presented evidence on the neutrality of Egypt's policy toward Somalia, and on its eagerness to restoring security and stability to all the Somali territories as soon as possible."

Since they seized control of the capital, Mogadishu, in June, the Islamists have expanded their territory to include most of southern and central Somalia, where they have imposed strict Sharia law.

Somalia, a nation of about 10 million, has lacked a functioning central authority since the ousting in 1991 of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. The transitional government, established in 2004, has proved incapable of restoring order.

Source: Middle East Times