Power vacuum as Ethiopian troops leave Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Ethiopian troops supporting Somalia's government withdrew completely from Mogadishu on Thursday, witnesses said, leaving a power vacuum in the capital that is expected to lead to more bloodshed.Islamist hardliners from the al Shabaab insurgent group have ambushed the departing soldiers and also clashed with other militias in a deepening power struggle between rebel factions."I saw the last convoy of Ethiopian forces passing by on the road. Most of them were walking alongside their vehicles," said Ahmed Farax Nur, who lives on the outskirts of the capital and was woken by the tanks rumbling past in the dark.Abdifatah Ibrahim Shaaweye, deputy governor of Banadir Region which includes Mogadishu, told Reuters the last Ethiopian troops had quit their remaining bases in the city overnight.Some analysts fear the withdrawal of an estimated 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers will cause more violence in Somalia, which has been mired in civil conflict for the last 18 years.But others believe it could be a positive development for the Horn of Africa nation -- which the United States has long feared could become a haven for militants -- spurring more moderate Islamists to join a new, more inclusive administration.There have been few signs of that so far.The rebels have fought the Western-backed interim government for two years, and are also increasingly fighting each other.