Ethiopian troops will leave Somalia in near future: PM Meles

Addis Ababa, April 18 (WIC) – Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopian troops fighting al-Shabab in Somalia will leave the country in the near future.

PM Meles made the announcement while responding to questions of MPs during the 25th regular session of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) on Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

“Ethiopian troops will leave Somalia when Ugandan, Kenyan, Djibouti and Rwandan forces are ready to fill the security vacuum that will be left behind when our force leaves the country,” the Premier said.

Ethiopia has sent its troops to Somalia to support the TFG to cleanse Somalia from al Shabab, a terrorist group that has been terrorizing much of Somalia for years.

PM Meles said the current situation in Somalia is getting better as Ethiopian troops managed to annihilate al Shabab from three areas of central Somalia.

PM Meles indicated the brutal administration of al Shabab has pushed the people of Somalia to unite with the Ethiopian troops and fight against the terrorist group.

Responding to the question about good governance, the Premier said the government along with the people at large has been striving to bring corruptors to justice.

PM Meles added coordinated and utmost efforts are needed from the community to find lasting solution and eradicate corruption from the country.

As far as the problem with Eritrea is concerned, the Premier said that Ethiopia is currently following four strategies to resolve and end the problem.

According to Meles, the first strategy is negotiation. Ethiopian is ready and doing its level best to negotiate and resolve the problem peacefully.

The second strategy, as PM Meles stated, is smoothening the relationships between the two brotherly people.

He said the Eritrean government is misguiding the Eritrean people to create enmity with Ethiopians. Ethiopia is welcoming several Eritrean refugees and giving the youth educational opportunity.

The third strategy, as PM Meles put it, is diplomacy. Through strong efforts, Ethiopia has influenced IGAD, AU and the UN to impose sanctions of Eritrea with the aim of curbing its act of destabilizations.

The fourth strategy is taking proportional measure. As a response to Eritrea’s act of disruption, Ethiopia will retaliate in a proportional way, PM Meles said.

According to PM Meles, the regime in Asmara has continued its subversive activities bent on destabilizing Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa in general.