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PM Says Time for Somalia Pullout, AU Desperate for Ethiopia Stay Over

The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)
NEWS
16 May 2007
Posted to the web 16 May 2007
Addis Ababa
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Tuesday his country was withdrawing all its
forces from neighboring Somalia and wished African Union peacekeepers would
deploy soon to relieve his troops.
In an interview with the BBC, Meles said he wanted to end the "onerous"
financial burden of having Ethiopian troops.
"Things have improved significantly in Mogadishu, making it possible for
peacekeeping troops to do their job,"he told the BBC.
"I very much hope and expect that those African countries that have promised to
send troops will do so." Nigeria, Burundi and Ghana have all promised to
contribute to the AU force.
But African Union's top official has said Ethiopia's withdrawal before the
deployment of AU peacekeepers could have disastrous consequences, according to
BBC.
Citing the AFP news agency, BBC said AU Commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare
said Ethiopia must wait for the AU forces.
"If Ethiopia withdrew from Somalia today, it would be a catastrophe," he told
AFP after a visit to Mogadishu, according to BBC's online report.
So far, Uganda has sent 1,700 peacekeepers but the AU says another 6,300 troops
are needed.
Meles said the "organized resistance" of the Islamists had now been "broken."
According to media reports coming out from Somalia, the Ethiopia-backed
transitional government is now in control of Mogadishu after what is seen as
the worst fighting in 16 years in the city.

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