Ethiopia 'set for Somali pullout'

Ethiopian forces are to start leaving Somalia "in the next few days",says Prime Minister Meles Zenawi h

Ethiopia helped Somalia's interim government oust Islamists from the capital but has always said it does not want to stay long.

Mr Meles said the first phase of the withdrawal could start now that several key warlords had disarmed.

The African Union (AU) is meeting to discuss sending a peacekeeping force to Somalia to replace the Ethiopians.

Mr Meles would not guarantee his troops would remain in Somalia until AU peacekeepers had been deployed but said he thought there would be an overlap.

"We want to withdraw at the earliest possible opportunity but we want to do it in a responsible manner," he said, adding that the complete pullout would take place in three phases.

The AU says it wants to deploy its peacekeepers by the end of January but some analysts question if this is realistic.

Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement has approved plans to send some 1,500 peacekeepers to Somalia, meaning that parliament is almost certain to back the plans when it meets later this month.

No other country has made a public offer of troops, although the leaders of Ethiopia and Kenya on Tuesday said several unnamed African countries had offered to contribute troops to the proposed 8,000-strong force.

BBC African analyst Martin Plaut says it would take weeks for any troops to be deployed after a firm decision is taken.

He says that if the Ethiopian forces withdraw before peacekeepers arrive, that could result in a dangerous power vacuum.

'Peace opportunity'

The 6,000-strong government forces are not seen as being capable of controlling the lawless country on their own - although it is being strengthened by the warlords.

Three of Somalia's major militia leaders have this week surrendered their weapons to the transitional government, while their fighters have joined the national army.

The warlords agreed to disarm last week - but as they did so, their gunmen battled in the capital, Mogadishu.

Omar Finish, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah and Musa Sudi Yalahow have surrendered control of more than 60 "battle wagons" - vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns - and some 380 fighters.

Four other warlords said their militias would disarm but they have not yet done so.

The former militiamen will now go to a military camp for training.

Their clan-based militias have battled for control of parts of Somalia for the past 16 years - since the country last had an effective national government.

The militias were hated by many Somalis for running road-blocks, where they extorted money.

On Thursday, UN envoy to Somalia Francois Fall urged the country not to waste "the best opportunity for peace for 16 years" after visiting interim President Abdullahi Yusuf in Mogadishu.

Mr Yusuf arrived in Mogadishu last week for the first time since being elected president at peace talks in 2004.