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****** Somalia: Somaliland Leader 'Concerned' About Ethiopia Withdrawal Plan
******
24 December 2008
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The president of Somalia's separatist republic of Somaliland has expressed
worry about the Ethiopian government's announced plans to withdraw its troops
from southern Somalia, Radio Garowe reports.
Mr. Dahir Riyale, the Somaliland leader, met with Ethiopian Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
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No official reports emerged following private talks between the two leaders,
but informed sources said trade and security relations were discussed at
length.
The Somaliland leader "expressed deep concern" regarding the planned withdrawal
of Ethiopian troops, "especially since not enough African Union peacekeepers
are present [in Mogadishu]," the source added.
It is the first time the Somaliland administration has directly addressed
Ethiopia's withdrawal plans.
Ethiopian troops have been protecting the Somali interim government in
Mogadishu since December 2006, when Ethiopia invaded southern Somalia to
dislodge Mogadishu's Islamist rulers from power.
In recent months, Islamist militia have steadily regained most of the territory
lost in the 2006 war and now surround Mogadishu and Baidoa, the government's
last remaining strongholds.
Somaliland, in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from
the rest of the country in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.
Historically, the region's leaders have largely distanced themselves from
engaging in the political affairs of the southern regions, but have commented
on new developments periodically.
Copyright © 2008 Garowe Online. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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