Regarding a current port arrangement with the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Somalia has given Ethiopia a deadline. If Ethiopia does not revoke the disputed agreement, the Somali government has threatened to remove thousands of Ethiopian soldiers stationed there by the end of the year. There are worries that this would worsen Somalia’s already unstable security situation.
In Somalia’s struggle against al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate that has sway over significant portions of the nation, Ethiopian forces are vital. At least 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers are now serving in the African Union peacekeeping operation (ATMIS), while an additional 5,000–7,000 are stationed as per a bilateral arrangement. These soldiers’ presence is essential to preserving some level of stability in the region.
The controversy began earlier this year when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometers of coastline from Somaliland. In exchange, Ethiopia offered Somaliland potential recognition, stirring up significant diplomatic tension. Somaliland has been autonomous since 1991 and seeks international recognition as an independent nation, a status not endorsed by the central government in Mogadishu. Somalia’s government has labeled the deal illegal, seeing it as a breach of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Somalia’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh-Ali, emphasized the gravity of the situation in a statement to Reuters. He made it clear that if the agreement with Somaliland is not revoked by the end of June or when the new mandate of the mission is decided, Somalia will demand the withdrawal of all Ethiopian troops, both from ATMIS and bilateral forces. Sheikh-Ali’s stern message underscored that Ethiopia cannot simultaneously be a partner in peacekeeping and an aggressor through its dealings with Somaliland.
This request comes at a crucial moment as the U.N. Security Council-mandated African Union Transition Mission in Somalia gets ready to wrap up by the end of 2024. The goal is to transfer all security responsibilities to the Somali government, which has frequently voiced doubts about its forces’ capacity to replace the AU troops. Somalia has asked for many troop pullout extensions, citing difficulties and setbacks in the fighting.
Somalia is pushing for the announcement of a new, smaller peacekeeping force in light of these security and diplomatic issues. They have, however, expressly asked that Ethiopian troops not be a part of this new deployment. As stated by Ali Omar, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, the current political climate makes it impossible for Ethiopian forces to be part of any future AU-led missions.
