Ethiopia has blamed a perceived lack of support from the international community for the withdrawal of troops from parts of Somalia. Earlier this month, Ethiopian soldiers abandoned areas of south-western Somalia, including the strategic town of Tiyeglow, where they were helping in the fight against terror group al-Shabaab. Reda said the Ethiopian contingent was not part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), but reassured Somalia it would assist "in any possible way to fill the vacuum". He also denied allegations that the decision to pull out troops was linked to a six-month-long state of emergency declared in Ethiopia in October, following months of unrest. The militants also regained control of the towns of El-Alif and Halgan, in the Hiran region, shortly after Ethiopian troops were evacuated from the area.

Source: Ethiopian News October 26, 2016 14:15 UTC