Somalia Al-Shabab’s Resurgence: FILE – In this Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 file photo, Ethiopian military tanks sit in position on the outskirts of the town of Baidoa in Somalia.
Somalia Al-Shabab’s Resurgence: FILE – In this Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 file photo, Ethiopian military tanks sit in position on the outskirts of the town of Baidoa in Somalia.
Ethiopian troops who have been fighting Al-Shabab militants in Somalia have vacated a series of military bases, sparking fears of a militant resurgence and a possible setback for African Union efforts to stabilize the country.
On Wednesday, Ethiopian troops vacated their posts in Tiyeglow which was seized from Al-Shabab in August 2014. It was the third town the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) vacated this month after El-Ali on October 11 and Halgan on October 23.
Experts have linked the withdrawals to the frequent anti-government protests in Ethiopia and the recent declaration of the state of emergency, but Ethiopian officials dismissed the connection.