Ethiopia ready for Somalia exit

African Union chief Jean Ping says something serious should be done to keep the 3,400 peacekeeping troops in lawless Somalia.

He expressed concern over talks that Burundi and Ethiopian troops are preparing to leave Somalia within a month.

Ping added that he was really very preoccupied, but that this is something which cannot be accepted. “We hope that something will be done to avoid that�, he told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital.

The announcement, made on Thursday by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, sent shockwaves through the African Union and other countries. He told the parliament he had been informed by both countries that they wanted to withdraw their peacekeeping troops from Somalia as soon as possible.

Meles also said that the two countries had informed them (of the withdrawal) and that they are waiting for ships and planes to arrive in Somalia to pick them up.

Uganda immediately denied of any question of withdrawal but Ping confirmed Meles' comments.

Ping said the AU has been making serious efforts to strengthen the peacekeeping force and keep it in lawless Somalia after Ethiopian forces' planned pullout early next month. The Ethiopian withdrawal will weaken the ill-equipped and under-strength peacekeepers to face the rebellion, he said.

He stressed that the AU has been talking with African countries to increase their participation in Somalia, has asked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to join them there, and to the AU partners to help them in financing this force.

Uganda and Burundi have borne the burden of AMISOM alone, and have waited in vain for other African nations to stump up the bulk of the force, which was to have a full operational strength of 8,000.

Ethiopia has said it is ready to delay the withdrawal by a "few days" in January so as not to expose the AU forces to an onslaught by the Shebaab militants, who control large parts of Somalia and have been closing in on Mogadishu.