Islamic Court declared near Ethiopia border

ICU Continues its unrestrained and unconfronted expansion: ====================================================== Last Updated: Oct 23rd, 2006 - 00:59:23

BELETWEIN, Somalia Oct 21 (Garowe Online) - A new Islamic Court was declared Saturday in Jawil, a frontier village near the Ethio-Somali border, raising more concerns of a showdown between Somalia’s Islamist movement and the Ethiopian military. The ceremony to mark the opening of the new Islamic Court was attended by Islamist officials, including the chairman of Islamic courts of Hiran region, Sheikh Farah Moallim Mohamud. Ethiopian troops previously crossed into Jawil and other villages in Hiran region, but such frontier villages have recently come under the control of the Somali Islamist militia. Earlier this month, Sheikh Farah Moallim declared jihad on Ethiopian troops at a public rally in Beletwein, capital of Hiran region.