| Armed militia for the Islamic Union Courts parade with their weapons, during training on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Dec 11, 2008. |
Ethiopia's decision to withdraw its troops from Somalia is "irreversible," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wahide Belay on Wednesday.
The decision had got approval of the lower House of People's Representatives, Wahide told journalists.
"The Ethiopian army, that successfully discharged its mission in Somalia, will be withdrawn," he stressed.
Ethiopia will continue to support the activities aimed at ensuring peace and stability in Somalia, after it pulls its troops out of the Horn of Africa nation by the end of the year, said Wahide. "As the current chairmanship of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a member of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), an active participant in the UN and international forums, Ethiopia will continue exerting efforts to help ensure peace and stability in Somalia," said the spokesman.
Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry announced last month that the country would pull its troops out of Somalia by the end of the year. The announcement of Ethiopia's withdrawal has caused panic among the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), whose peacekeepers are to take over security duties but will need more preparation time.
Currently, the piracy at south Red Sea and along the Gulf of Aden has become a major international threat, he said, adding that resolving problems on land of Somalia is the solution.
However, Wahide said Ethiopia alone cannot continue to shoulder the responsibility. "The responsibility should have been the burden for the international community to share," he added.
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