Ethiopia begins effective withdrawal of troops from Somalia

January 3, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopian troops have begun withdrawal from Somalia and the ongoing operation will be fully completed within days, the foreign ministry said today.

The Ethiopian troops have begun implementing the final phase of withdrawal from Somalia after Ugandan and Burundi governments agreed to deploy additional peacekeeping troops into that country, said a press statement issued by the Ethiopian foreign ministry.

Since last November Addis Ababa, urged the international community to deploy a peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country. Ethiopia also expressed its anger from the political infighting between the Somali factions in the Transitional government.

Ethiopia pledged to provide the necessary support to the Somali troops and the African Mission (AMISOM) there. The troops are expected to be deployed along the border and could intervene punctually against the Islamist insurgents.

However Somali officials said they fear that the vacuum created by the pullout of the Ethiopian troops could encourage the Islamists fighters to progress toward the capital.

Reports from the capital Mogadishu, say the fighter of the Islamic courts, who signed a deal with the Somali government last November, are taking police stations as Ethiopian troops pull out.

Sheik Abdirahim Isse Addow, the spokesman for the faction, said his group had decided to move into the police stations to “ensure the security of the people.” He added, “This is not a challenge against other Islamists.”

The Union of Islamic Courts, is not allied with the Shabab, one of Somalia’s most militant Islamic groups. The Shabab controls much of southern Somalia.

(ST)