Tuesday, January 13, 2009
MOGADISHU (AFP) — Ethiopian forces pulled out Tuesday from two bases
in northern Mogadishu in their first withdrawal from the lawless Somali
capital since rolling into the seaside city two years ago.Farah
Abdi Warsame, a resident said: "It is a happy day today to see the area
for the first time in two years without the Ethiopian forces. We hope
the rest will leave the country."
Hundreds of residents rushed to
see the empty camps in Yakshid district, which alongside other
Mogadishu neighbourhoods have seen some of the worst violence between
Islamist insurgents and the forces.
"The Ethiopian forces
withdrew from key positions in northern Mogadishu overnight and our
fighters took control of the areas in order to avoid a power vacuum,"
added Sheikh Hassan Osman, an Islamist official.
Ethiopia
announced its withdrawal in November, sparking concerns of a security
vacuum in the war-ravaged country where an African Union force has been
unable to halt the violence and insurgents have retaken many
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| File picture shows Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu |
regions.The
ill-equipped and under-funded AU force expected to eventually number
8,000 soldiers currently comprises only 3,400 troops from Uganda and
Burundi.
Addis Ababa sent its forces into Somalia in late 2006 to
back an embattled interim government against an Islamist movement that
had gained control of swathes of territory in south and central Somalia.
But
the ouster of the Islamists triggered relentless fighting that has
killed thousands of civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands
others.
The United Nations top envoy to Somalia Ahmedou
Ould-Abdallah urged hardline Islamists who had pegged their
participitation in peace talks on the Ethiopian withdrawal to end
fighting.
"Today the Ethiopians have respected their commitment," Ould-Abdallah said in a statement.
"The
ball is now in the court of the Somalis, particularly those who said
they were only fighting against the Ethiopian forces, to stop the
senseless killings and violence."
Moderate Islamists had signed a
deal with the transitional government for a gradual withdrawal of
Ethiopian troops, a power-sharing and a ceasefire agreement under
UN-mediated talks.
SOURCE: AFP, Tuesday, January 13, 2009