2006年VOA标准英语-US Urges Halt to Somali Conflict

By Michael Bowman
Washington
25 December 2006

The Bush administration is urging a halt to conflict in Somalia that has

Islamic Court fighters wait  at the airport of Mogadishu, Somalia, 25 Dec 2006

intensified¹ since neighboring Ethiopia launched air strikes on the country's two main airports and sent ground troops into Somali territory. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, Ethiopia's military intervention² is aimed at propping³ up the weak Somali government, which is challenged by a powerful Islamic militia⁴.

The State Department says the United States is concerned by the deteriorating⁵ security situation in Somalia, and by the humanitarian⁶ impact of the fighting. A State Department spokesperson told VOA that Somali civilians⁸ should be protected, and that the United States is urging all Somali parties to cease hostile actions.

There was no mention of Ethiopia's role in the conflict. However, the spokesperson said the United States encourages all sides to return to the negotiating table to find a solution that will bring peace and security to Somalia and the region, mirroring earlier statements from the European Union as well as the Arab League.

Despite a decades-old border dispute between the two countries, Ethiopia and Somalia's interim⁹ government have formed a de facto military alliance to confront an Islamist militia that has seized large swaths of territory in the strife-ridden nation long dominated by warlords. Officials in largely Christian¹⁰ Ethiopia say they entered the conflict after Somali Islamists declared a holy war against their nation.

Ethiopian air strikes have prompted an angry response from the Islamic Courts' leadership. Deputy Chairman Abdirahman Janaqow spoke⁷ with reporters in Mogadishu.

He said, "Ethiopian air forces have aggressively targeted Mogadishu airport, wounding one woman. It is a cowardly attack. I urge the Somali people to be very alert and refrain from gathering¹¹ together in one place, because the enemy may target you."

News reports from Somalia say Ethiopian-backed Somali troops have pushed Islamist forces from a border region between the two countries. Abdirahman Dinari, a spokesman for the Somali government, said, "From now on, we have closed the airports and the port, and there will be no access without permission from the Federal government of Somalia. Neighboring countries should help us on this issue. We are appealing to the people of Somalia to remain calm and work with the government."

The government wants to prevent foreign fighters from crossing into Somalia to help the Islamists.

The conflict is taking a heavy toll¹² on civilians. At a refugee camp in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo, relief worker Dhakale Adam cited an urgent need for international assistance.

He said, "We have no food and no shelter in this camp. Three children have died. Old people are most vulnerable, and we desperately¹³ need help."

Militia leaders have expressed a desire to form a greater eastern African Islamist state, incorporating Islamic communities from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya.

Somalia's warring factional leaders signed a peace accord in early 2004, ending 13 years of conflict and paving the way for a United Nations-backed interim government and legislature. But the government has little power outside its headquarters in the town of Baidoa.

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

3 propping   

支撑

参考例句：

• You can usually find Jack propping up the bar at his local. 你常常可以看见杰克频繁出没于他居住的那家酒店。
• The government was accused of propping up declining industries. 政府被指责支持日益衰败的产业。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

12 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

13 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。