The African Union Yet to Remark on Somalia’s Claim
Borkena
Toronto – The Ethiopian Defense Force has been an integral part of the peacekeeping mission in Somalia for well over 15 years, with thousands of soldiers having sacrificed their lives in the fight against Al-Shabab militants.
As the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) concludes at the end of this year, and the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) takes over, the government of Somalia in Mogadishu is determined not to include Ethiopia in the mission. The new mission is expected to operate in Somalia for four years.
Somalia has expressed a preference for Egypt – with whom Ethiopia has a hostile relationship due to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – to be part of the mission, which Ethiopia views as a national security threat.
Somalia’s Minister for Defense, Abdukadir Mohamed Nur, on Satruday announced that “Ethiopian forces have been excluded from participation in the new AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM),” as reported by the Somali National News Agency (SONNA).
He is quoted as saying, “We can confirm that Ethiopian forces will not be part of the new AU Mission, which is to launch operations in the new year, 2025, because Ethiopia violated our territorial integrity and sovereignty. The list of troop-contributing countries will be announced soon.”
During the ATMIS mission, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda contributed troops.
It is unclear at this point if the African Union is officially excluding Ethiopian troops from AUSSOM.
Ethiopia has not responded to Somalia’s remark that it will not be part of the peacekeeping mission after the end of this year.
Why Somalia Wants to Exclude Ethiopia from the Mission
Somalia has been accusing Ethiopia of violating “its sovereignty” after Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland – which broke away from Somalia in 1991.
The agreement, once finalized, grants Ethiopia coastal access to 20 kilometers of rental land in Somaliland for fifty years in exchange for recognition of its independence. Somaliland has existed as a de facto state for 34 years with its own army and currency.
Hassan Sheik Mohamud’s government in Mogadishu has been engaged in political and military mobilizations against Ethiopia after the MoU agreement.. In August 2024, his government signed a military pact with Egypt. Egypt is to deploy 10,000 forces under a bilateral arrangement and as part of the new mission, AUSSOM.
Furthermore, in September this year, Egypt shipped heavy weaponry to Somalia, raising concerns in Ethiopia and Somaliland that it could fall into the hands of Al-Shabab terrorists.
Last month, Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia signed a tripartite agreement in Asmara.
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Ethiopia! Dégagé!!!!! That is ‘Leave! Out! What language you don’t understand? Dégagé! I am comfortable with my Arab masters! Leave my house now!!! But keep sending that khat. It tastes good chewing it chic full in the afternoon at Villa Mogadishu. While you are at it, how about tossing a few 30lbs bags of your sugar this way? Out!!! Dégagé!