Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
8 January 2009
Mogadishu — Top Ethiopian officer in Mogadishu reaffirmed Thursday that Ethiopia is committed to withdraw its troops from Somalia and waiting an order from Ethiopian government.
Ethiopia announced last year plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia by December 5, but missed that deadline on Monday.
Col. Automatic, an Ethiopian officer in Mogadishu said Ethiopian troops are primed to leave in the coming days. He addressed hundreds of people participating a demonstration that took place in Daynile district north Mogadishu in favour for Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, the chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia and his efforts to bring peace in the war-ravaged country.
The demonstrators were shouting slogans supporting the peace process and requested from Ethiopia to quicken its troop pull out from Somalia.
Some political analysts say Ethiopia might have changed its exit strategy to counter ever-increasing threats by Islamists, including Al-Shabab.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia in 2006 to help Somali government to defeat the Islamic Courts Union that ruled much of south and central Somalia.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in the Ethiopian occupation.
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