Al Shabaab militants have recaptured three Somali towns since earlier this month, Ethiopian soldiers abandoned areas in the south-west of the country.

Ethiopia insists the pull out from Somalia is not connected to the domestic political problems where the country is in a state of emergency.

Addis Ababa’s Information Minister Getachew Read says the  international community also has a responsibility either to train or to support the Somali national army in whatever way they promised.

If this doesn’t happen and the Somali national army fails to discharge their responsibilities then al-Shabaab will  just move in.

Reda says Ethiopia  would help in any possible way to fill the vacuum created by its military withdrawal.

The post Ethiopia says lack of international support forced its troops to quit Somalia appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

An official from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation says they’re not aware of any South Africans in distress following the abortive coup last week.

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Most of the South Africans who were in Turkey when the failed coup occurred were on holiday or shopping.

They took the first available flights home when the airports reopened.

There are a sizable number of South Africans living in Turkey – many of them involved in the media which is coming under criticism by the authorities who’ve imposed a three-month state of emergency

They have been advised to stay in touch with the embassy and to exercise the greatest caution at all times.

The post South Africans in Turkey advised to exercise caution appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.