U.S. Military Stops Launching Drones From Ethiopia, Embassy Says

• Decision stemmed from bilateral talks on defense cooperation
• U.S. has flown drones from town of Arba Minch since 2011

The U.S. military has stopped flying drones from the southern Ethiopian town of Arba Minch, which they had used since 2011, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia said.

The two countries agreed that a U.S. presence in Arba Minch isn’t needed at the moment, the spokesman, David Kennedy, said in an e-mail on Saturday.

Ethiopia borders Somalia, whose government is battling Al Qaeda-aligned Islamic militants Al Shabaab with the support of the international community.