Ethiopia Refuses to Stay in Somalia

Ethiopia: Somalia pull-out irreversible

Ethiopia has refused a plea by the African Union to delay the planned withdrawal of its forces from Somalia until more troops are deployed.

Ethiopia's decision to withdraw its troops from Somalia was approved by the lower House of People's Representatives and is 'irreversible', said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wahide Belay on Wednesday.

"The Ethiopian army, that successfully discharged its mission in Somalia, will be withdrawn," he added, stressing his country's sustained support for restoration of peace and stability in Somalia after it pulls its troops out of the Horn of Africa nation by the end of the year.

The pull-out plan was announced last month amid fears that the war-torn country could dip further into anarchy and bloodshed unless more peacekeepers are deployed.

"We appeal to Ethiopia to consider phasing out withdrawal, until such time [when] more troops from Nigeria, Uganda and Burundi are deployed in Somalia," the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU said at a meeting in Addis Ababa on Monday.

It also cited fears over the alarming security situation in Somalia with piracy mounting given the weakening leadership and insurgents ruling nearly all the country except for the capital Mogadishu and Baidoa.

Some 3,000 Ethiopian troops are currently in Somalia to help 3,400 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi that make up the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to support the embattled Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

The Ethiopian withdrawal will further challenge the AU which has failed to send a promised 8,000-srong force to Somalia.

Clashes between government forces backed by foreign militaries-and rebels have left at least 10,000 civilians killed in the last two years and more than a million displaced.

MRS/RA