SITUATION IN SOMALIA GETS WORSE

The situation in Somalia worsened considerably in the last two weeks, with fears that the country could descend further into chaos. Ethiopian troops have begun their long-promised withdrawal, with columns of trucks ferrying soldiers away from Mogadishu and Baidoa towards the Ethiopian border. Although foreign ministry officials in Addis Ababa reassured the international community that measures have been taken to ensure that security gaps are filled, it appears the opposite is true, with reports earlier this week indicating that al-Shabaab, an extremist militant group, took over three police stations in the capital that were left completely empty following the Ethiopian withdrawal.On the political front, President Abdullahi Yusuf resigned last week, saying he could not unite feuding tribes and bring stability to the fractured country. Analysts are uncertain as to what will happen next in Somalia, but have warned that an already dire situation will likely get worse in 2009.http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2009/01/07/situation-in-somalia-gets-worse.aspx