BBC – All Ethiopian Woyanne troops will leave Somalia by the end of the year, a foreign ministry spokesman has announced.
Ethiopia Woyanne sent thousands of soldiers into Somalia two years ago to help government forces oust Islamists from the capital, Mogadishu.
But their presence has been deeply unpopular with many Somalis.
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf recently admitted that his forces only control parts of the capital and the central town of Baidoa.
Despite being forced from power in Mogadishu, Islamist forces have rallied and stage frequent attacks against Ethiopian Woyanne and government soldiers.
Hardline Islamists have refused to take part in peace talks until the Ethiopians Woyannes left Somali territory – the two countries have twice fought border wars.
The government is also deeply divided between President Yusuf and Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein.
‘Proud’
Ethiopian Woyanne foreign ministry spokesman Wahide Belay said that the deadline for the pull-out was in a letter sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping on Tuesday.
“We have done our job and we are proud of it, but the expectations that we had from the international community were never fulfilled. But that said, we will withdraw in a responsible manner,” he told the AFP news agency.
The US supported the Ethiopian Woyanne move into Somalia but calls for UN peacekeepers to be sent have never materialised.
This is not the first time the Ethiopians Woyannes have said they would withdraw but the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt in Addis Ababa says what is new is the lack of conditions or provisos.
It has previously said it would not pull out in a way that would leave a vacuum or destabilise the situation.
There are believed to be about 2,000 Ethiopian Woyanne troops in Somalia – sharply down from the 12,000 who first intervened.
The Ethiopian Woyanne withdrawal was also part of a peace deal agreed recently between the government and moderate Islamists.
Some analysts fear fighting could increase after the Ethiopians Woyannes leave.
There is a small African Union peacekeeping force in Mogadishu but analysts say they are unlikely to fight off the advancing insurgents.
Vulnerable
The AU Commission Chairman warned that the AU force could also leave if government in-fighting continues.
“If the transitional government continues to quarrel, if those we came here to help can’t agree and the Ethiopians Woyannes pull out lock, stock and barrel… and African troops too decide to leave, then we have the worst possible scenario,” he said, reports the AFP news agency.
Horn of Africa analyst Roger Middleton, from the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA), says morale is low in Ethiopia’s Woyanne’s army and troops are needed on the border with Eritrea.
But he said the situation may not improve and could become more complicated.
“It is possible that the government and ARS [moderate Islamists] form a broad-based government,” he said.
“But a more likely scenario is a proliferation of armed groups fighting each other.”
Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank, said the Ethiopians Woyannes may now use troops and air power against the Islamists, instead of having troops on the ground, who are vulnerable to attack.
“The Ethiopians Woyannes are at the end of their tether because of the squabbling in the interim government, which they have backed at such enormous human and financial cost,” he told Reuters news agency.
Some 10,000 civilians have been killed since 2007, Reuters reports.
Donors say that up to three million people – almost half the population – need food aid.
9 thoughts on “Ethiopia: Woyanne troops to leave Somalia next month”
Bush’s bread crumbs are drying, time to pack up
Meles Zenawi has faced outright defeat in Somlia and lost thousands of his troops there. He can not continue to sustain the losses and must take the bitter and humiliating decision of running away from Somalia. Meles Zenawi ahs also sensed the change wind that has blown in the United States of America. Unlike Bush, Obama may not be interested in financing and running a client regime. So Meles Zenawi has no option but find some face saving formula for his defeat and retreat from Somalia. Ethiopians should also draw lessons from the Somali resistance and expell the tigres from thei country. Forget or ignore the ineffective woyanne serving opposition groups like the Andenet of Ms. Birtukan Midekas and rally around the genuine opposition forces which are struggling to remove Meles Zenawi from power and replace him with demcoratically elected leader(s).
We should not support any loyal opposition including the UDJP.
They leave because of the bullet. And if they re-enter somalia again then Al-shabbab will be more then ready.
God bless Somalia
I am glad that Woyanne is leaving Somalia with defeat and shame. When is it Ethiopians’ turn to live without Woyanne? I wonder how many innocent lives were destroyed by Woyanne army at home and in Somalia. I wonder how many Ethiopian and Somali children will grow up without their fathers and mothers. I wonder how many Ethiopian and Somali mothers and fathers have lost their children by Woyane army and cry day in and day out. I wonder how many lives Meles has destroyed for nothing at all. I can not even imagine. Meles, the souls of innocent people you have destroyed may haunt you for the rest of your life.
yeap the next front is up north then darfur . this is what a responsible citizen do.. LOL
The weyane’s defeat and running out of Somalia is a good news and a conclusion of a dark chapter in the history and relationship between the peoples of Ethiopia and Somalia.For the last two years weyane mercenaries have caused so much bloodshed and sufferings in the residence of Mogadishu,the capital of Somalia.The massacre and rape that was commited by weyane gangs solely purpose is to please their master the U.s administration of George Bush.Weyane’s psycopath leaders started a bloody war between people who lived side by side for thousands of years with minimal conflicts.So much non sense for the war on terror.I hope the healing starts ASAP.Because weyane can only stay on power by means of arms or by igniting armed conflicts with Eritrea or Ethiopian opposition groups the war drum of weyane will soon start echoing its call of destruction and human suffering until this monster is put to its grave by the proud people of Eritrea,Ethiopia and heroic Somalia.
Few moths ago, we were told by woyane don’t even think about moving out of Somalia. Why the rush now? The old boss in Washington DC is ready to wrap up and leave office. The one coming in, can’t do business with. What choice woyane has except bag up, stick in the wagging tail between the legs like a terrified dog and leave Somalia before it is too late. What an impressive move!
Now the master, Bush, will gone soon for ever and the slave, Meles, must leave even a little bit earlier for there is no more hand outs. It was and is shame to see an african leader to be a modern beggar and slave for whites. The only place the weyane deserve is garbage can.