By Abdi Muse
Ethiopian military officer in Mogadishu pictured 12th April during the 53rd celebrations of Somalia National Army.
Addis Ababa (RBC) Ethiopian government spokesman has denied that its forces will fully withdraw from Somalia this time, VOA reports.
The remarks came a day after Reuters news agency reported Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said its troops will withdraw from Somalia soon on Tuesday, voicing frustration with the Mogadishu government and African Union peacekeeping forces that are also battling Islamist militants there.
But Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti, clarifying the prime minister’s speech, said that Ethiopian forces are not planning to pull out of the country.
“He said, Ethiopian defense force has to be transferred to those areas where there is need for more stability,” said Mufti adding that “He has never said we are going to withdraw”.
Ethiopian is not part of African Union Mission in Somalia and for that its prime minister Hailemariam said that Ethiopia bears the cost of its military operation in Somalia alone.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the African Union Forces in Somalia Eloi Yao said that AMISOM did not aware of any report saying the Ethiopian forces’ urgent pull out from Somalia.
He said in the event of a sudden pullback, the military commanders on the ground would work with the Somali government to decide a way forward.
The Federal Government of Somalia had earlier said it was preparing its troops backing by AMISOM to take over the vacuum but the government did not comment on the latest remarks.
RBC Radio
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