Addis Ababa, 16 May 2007 - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Tuesday his country was withdrawing all its forces from neighboring Somalia and wished African Union peacekeepers would deploy soon to relieve his troops.

In an interview with the BBC, Meles said he wanted to end the "onerous" financial burden of having Ethiopian troops.

"Things have improved significantly in Mogadishu, making it possible for peacekeeping troops to do their job,"he told the BBC.

"I very much hope and expect that those African countries that have promised to send troops will do so." Nigeria, Burundi and Ghana have all promised to contribute to the AU force.

But African Union's top official has said Ethiopia's withdrawal before the deployment of AU peacekeepers could have disastrous consequences, according to BBC.

Citing the AFP news agency, BBC said AU Commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare said Ethiopia must wait for the AU forces.

"If Ethiopia withdrew from Somalia today, it would be a catastrophe," he told AFP after a visit to Mogadishu, according to BBC's online report.

So far, Uganda has sent 1,700 peacekeepers but the AU says another 6,300 troops are needed.

Meles said the "organized resistance" of the Islamists had now been "broken." According to media reports coming out from Somalia, the Ethiopia-backed transitional government is now in control of Mogadishu after what is seen as the worst fighting in 16 years in the city.

Source: The Daily Monitor