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| Africa Horn |
| Ethiopia to Stay in Somalia until AU Takeover |
| 2012-11-29 |
| [An Nahar] Æthiopian troops will remain in Somalia until African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... forces fighting Islamists can take over, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Wednesday, as he met with his Somali counterpart. "We are waiting for AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) force to come and replace us, and until we get that assurance then we will be waiting there," he told news hounds. Hailemariam, speaking alongside newly elected Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on his first official visit to the Æthiopian capital, gave no time-line for a pull out of troops. Mohamud said that the Shebab is "literally defeated" -- although many experts say it remains a potent threat -- and also warned imported muscle with the gun-hung tough guys to leave Somalia. "We have no relationship, and we do not intend to have one, with the imported muscle in Somalia," Mohamud said. "The only option for them is to leave the country." Æthiopian troops and tanks invaded Somalia in November 2011 to attack al-Qaeda linked Shebab Death Eaters, capturing key towns including Baidoa. At the same time, anti-Shehab Somali forces and a 17,000-strong AU force have been also battling the Islamists, and are seeking to link up with areas held by Æthiopia. |
| Posted by:Fred |