Somalia on edge as Ethiopians withdraw

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Ethiopian troops were withdrawing from neighboring Somalia Saturday after two years battling anti-government rebels in the African nation.

A convoy of vehicles reportedly rolled out of a major base on the outskirts of the Mogadishu; however it is expected to take several days to pull out the remaining 3,000 Ethiopians stationed around the capital.

The pullout is in keeping with a pledge Ethiopia had made to end its presence in strife-torn Somalia by the end of 2008 and comes on the heels of the resignation of Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, which The Washington Post said was a signal his rickety transitional government was on the verge of collapse.

The Post said Somalis were anxious about the near-term prospects for peace without the Ethiopians around to keep fighting among militias in check.

"It's not good to predict a bleak future, but we see all the signs that different groups are preparing for war," said a peace activist in Mogadishu. "We are expecting a big change when the Ethiopians leave, but we don't know where we are heading."