A local Somali official has welcomed a plan by Ethiopia's Somali state to create a buffer zone along the border inside Somalia to fight militant group al-Shabab. The plan was announced Thursday, a week after hundreds of Somali militants launched a cross-border attack that Ethiopian authorities say they repelled.
Somalia's federal officials have yet to comment on an Ethiopian buffer zone inside their country and some security analysts warn it could create more tension.
He said the second phase will be to create a security buffer zone inside Somalia that is free of terrorists because, he says, we can't wait for the enemy here. "We, the government of the southwest state of Somalia, are ready to work with the Liyu police to unite and come together to fight [al-Shabab]," Ahmed said."We don't see a problem if the security forces of the Somali region of Ethiopia reside in our areas and public fear regarding their coming will be discussed to avoid harming the civilians and only target the enemy."