Ethiopia says it will not allow Somalia's al-Shabaab, the military wing of Islamic Courts Union, to take part in any peace negotiations.
The Ethiopian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that al-Shabaab, 'with a declared objective of spreading extremism to the entire region', can not be considered a reliable partner in Somalia's peace talks.
The statement comes in response to a report published by International Crisis Group (ICG), which said the inclusion of al-Shabaab in the Somali peace process would be useful following the Ethiopian troops' withdrawal from the war-torn country.
Ethiopian trucks packed with soldiers and light and heavy equipment were seen leaving Mogadishu on Friday, the first signs of the expected withdrawal. Somali officials have said the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops will be done in stages.
ICU did not take part in Djibouti peace talks between the Somali government and the opposition group, Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia, which led to setting a time-table for the Ethiopian forces' pull-out.
Ethiopian troops were deployed to Somalia in 2006 to help the transitional federal government oust al-Shabaab. However, their presence has been deeply unpopular with the Somali people.
"The decision of the US government to include al-Shabaab in the list of terrorist organizations is what emboldened extremists into vowing to establish a Taliban like Islamic Caliphate in the entire region," the statement added.
The resignation of top Somali government officials, including President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has brought the already violent-ridden country to utter chaos.
ICU still holds sway over most parts of Somalia while the government's control has been limited to parts of Mogadishu and Baidoa city.
AKM/DT
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