Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed: Would have preferred Ethiopian troops to stay.

© afrol News / Kenya govt

afrol News, 23 January - "Starting today our troops are leaving," Ethiopian General Seum Hagoss said at a ceremony in Mogadishu today, marking the first official withdrawal of troops from Somalia. The first Ethiopian troops however were reported to have started leaving Somalia already yesterday, as an African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission is being prepared.

Residents in central Somalia already reported yesterday that Ethiopian troops had started leaving the country in small numbers. Last week, the Ethiopian government announced its plans to withdraw troops from Somalia within two weeks. Meanwhile, Ethiopian troops have been training and equipping Somali government soldiers to increase their capacity to take full control of the country.

An official announcement of the start-up of an Ethiopian troops withdrawal today nevertheless came somewhat as a surprise to most Somalis and the international community. General Hagoss at a farewell ceremony in Mogadishu announced that hundreds of troops had already left central Somalia, passing through Mogadishu, from where they were being sent home today.

The news of the small-scale Ethiopian withdrawal came at the same time as Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is holding high-level talks in Addis Ababa to assure further Ethiopian assistance. According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Yusuf had said Ethiopian forces were still "absolutely needed until Somali security forces fully achieve preparation needed to ensure peace and security in Somalia."

But the transitional Somali government today also made sure to tell the public that there would be no power vacuum while Somalia keeps waiting for AU peacekeepers. Most Ethiopian troops were to stay in the country to help safeguarding the situation in Somalia, government speakers said.

In Ethiopia and Somalia, government sources are keen to emphasise that the situation is totally under control. In Addis, President Yusuf was quoted by the Foreign Ministry as describing the peace and stability situation in Somalia as "much better". "The government is working at its highest level so that Mogadishu will be peaceful. The people are full of hope for the future," he told Ethiopians.

Indeed, the most serious fighting in Somalia seems to be over and the formerly ruling Islamists seem poorly organised as they have gone underground in Mogadishu and the Somali bush. While government forces claim that around 3,500 Islamist fighters are still hiding out in the capital, attacks on Ethiopian and Somali government forces have been few and of little impact.

Ethiopia at this stage is eager to leave Somalia immediately to avoid a similar situation as the Americans in Iraq. Generally looked upon with suspicion in Somalia, Ethiopian troops still have not inflamed popular rage against them. With the military defeat of the Islamists well accomplished, Addis sees no reason to stay in Mogadishu risking a popular uprising.

Meanwhile, preparations for AU troops to replace Ethiopians are well advanced. The AU has approved a plan to send nine battalions peacekeepers to Somalia to help stabilise the country, according to reports from the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry. A senior official from the Addis-based AU headquarters said the troops would be deployed for six months, and eventually be taken over by the UN.

Three battalions of each around 1,000 troops were due to be sent initially, with six more battalions to follow over a six-month period. So far, Uganda has pledged to contribute to the AU force with 1,500 troops, while Malawi was to send between 500 and 1,000 soldiers. Other countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa were considering possible contributions. Funding pledges by the US and European countries are also reaching the AU.

By staff writers

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