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Ethiopian troops pull out of key position in Mogadishu, is this start dialogue of compromise after three months of heavy fighting with no side with upper hand?
Mogadishu, (insidesomalia.org) - The Ethiopian Troops almost abandoned points all along 30th street at 3:00 am early in the morning on Saturday pulling out after nearly two months stationed there, a residential and a business neighborhood.
Ethiopian army along with Somali government troops faced fierce resistance fighting in the area against insurgency believed have their strongholds in the neighborhood.
The fighting claimed the life of many people including civilians and reason the residents flee for safety and sought safe heaven at the Elasha camp where United Nations estimate that more than 200,000 live who fled the capital sheltered in a make shift huts made of sticks and old hearth rugs.
“I am delighted to be back home again” said Halima Farah, a resident of Bar Ubah neighborhood who has fled with her three children to Afgoi, 34KM South West of Mogadishu.”
“We can not move in immediately because Houses should need be repaired after intense fighting and we should have to ensure safety“ said Mohamed Sheikh Abdulkadir, a prominent elder at Bar Ubah neighborhood.
Other main important Mogadishu’s Street such as the Industrial Street still closed and stationed by either Ethiopian or Somali government forces and are also deserted after heaviest fighting.
Heliwaa, Suqa Xolaha, Pasta Factory the most common areas deserted by its inhabitants in fear of subjective arrests by Somali Government forces especially by young men.
“Shops, houses and even mosques were destroyed” Omer Mohamed who lost his laundry shop speaking to insidesomalia.org.
The withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces corresponded with three days after the newly appointed Prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein said that his government plan trying negotiations with the opposition fighting the government in Mogadishu while the Ethiopian Prime Minister Melles Zenawi said that his troops was bogged down in Mogadishu and could not withdraw before the deployment 8,000 AU AMISOM peacekeeping forces pledged.
Only 1.500 Ugandan forces are stationed in Mogadishu but other countries forces to be deployed was delayed by political stale mate, lack of financial and technical support.
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