
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.