Truce Ignored, Somalis Claim

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30365, 14 February 1964, Page 11

Truce Ignored, Somalis Claim

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MOGADISHU, February 13. The Somali Government today claimed Ethiopian aircraft strafed and bombed Somali villages for the last two days in defiance of a United Nations appeal for a cease-fire.

“Ethiopian armed aggression is continuing,” the Somali Premier, Abdirashid <Shermarke, said in a message to U Thant, the United Nations Secretary-General. The most serious fighting in four years of border disputes between the two countries broke out five days ago. Each side blamed the other for the outbreak and each said the other suffered the heavier casualties. The Somalis said the Ethiopians lost 330 men in Saturday’s fighting and said their •own losses were only 13 dead. They said another 50 Ethiopians were killed by rebelling Somali residents in Ethiopian territory at Fiambiro and Bio Kulel. The Somali Government said it ordered its troops to

cease fire on Monday in response to an appeal from U Thant.

It said the Ethiopian Government “did not appreciate this good will and continued hostilities, spreading them to other border areas.”. Government officials claimed Ethiopian Air Force planes bombed and strafed the villages of Abdulkadir, Ina Guha and Dabagor laleh on Monday and yesterday, causing “grave loss of property and lives.” They said seven Somali policemen were among the casualties. Shermarke said in his cable to U Thant that Ethiopia was obviously determined not only to ignore the United Nations cease-fire appeal but to extend the conflict to other areas. He said that under the circu* stances “the Somali Government is forced to adopt the defence counter-measures required to protect territorial integrity” of his country. He did not say what the measures were.

He asked U Thant to send a commission of independent observers to the fighting area to determine responsibilities and supervise enforcement of the cease-fire-A similar request was sent to the African Unity Organisation and read yesterday to all African chiefs of State in conference in Dar-Es-Salaam.