Eritrea has strongly denied it has deployed 2,000 troops in Somalia. The Red Sea nation accused the United Nations of «pure fabrication» following the leaking of a confidential U.N. briefing note which concluded that thousands of Ethiopian and Eritrean troops are in Somalia, backing opposing sides in the struggle for supremacy in the strategic country. A statement posted on the information ministry's web site late Saturday said the troop claim was an attempt «to cover up the U.S. governments plans and the war it is carrying out in Somalia and the Horn of Africa in general» through the Ethiopian government. The U.N. report, dated Oct. 26 and obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, cites diplomatic sources estimating that «between 6,000-8,000 Ethiopians» are supporting the government and that «2,000 fully equipped Eritrean troops are now inside Somalia» backing the Islamic group known as the Council of Islamic Courts. Eritrea's denial came on the eve of important peace talks between the Islamic Courts group that has been tightening its grip on Somalia and the transitional, internationally recognized government, which has the support of neighboring Ethiopia. Monday's talks, the third round to take place between the two sides and which aim to avert a disastrous war in the Horn of Africa region _ one of the World's poorest _ will focus on sharing power. They will be held in Khartoum, Sudan, but most observers are pessimistic about the chances for an agreement and fear major fighting could follow if the talks fail.
