Ethiopia: President Meles considers withdrawing from Somalia

(SomaliNet) Ethiopian President Meles Zenawi admitted for the first time that the Ethiopian government is considering withdrawal of its forces from Somalia following the takeover of the Somali port city of Kismayo by forces of the Islamic Courts movement.

The Ethiopian leader, while speaking to several news outlets, said Ethiopia\'s commitment to Somalia is not open-ended and added that the decision to withdraw his troops from the neighboring country will not depend on considerations about whether Somalia has achieved a strong and stable administration.

Meles pointed out to financial problems for Ethiopia to keep up the occupation of Somalia saying \"There are also requirements of our own, including financial requirements.

Meanwhile, the operation has been extremely expensive so we will have to balance the domestic pressures on the one hand and pressures in Somalia on the other and try to come up with a balanced solution.\"

Humanitarian aid organizations say that at least six thousand Somalis died during the armed uprising of the Islamic Courts\' forces against the Ethiopian occupation troops and the interim government\'s forces.

However, given that as many as 3,5 million Somalis have since been displaced, and that the majority of them have never been reached out to by any aid agency, the figure is certainly much higher, if those who died from starvation and lack of basic medical care in the countryside are taken into account.-Arab Monitor