Somali Opposition Insists On Withdrawal of Ethiopian Troops

Peace negotiations between the Somali interim government and an opposition alliance in Djibouti have ended without agreement after the two sides failed to agree on the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from the country. Sources say delegates from the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) refused to sign a deal Sunday after the government's negotiating side, led by Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, insisted that the Ethiopian soldiers would be withdrawn from civilian areas but would remain in the major cities. The ARS wants a total withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops, which helped install and sustain the fragile interim government. UN Envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah however says both sides signed a declaration of support for humanitarian relief efforts.[PE]