Ethiopia

Ethiopia awaits official notice from Somalia on troop withdrawal amid rising tensions

Nebiyu Tedla, spokesperson for Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (X/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Abdirahman Khalif | Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Nebiyu clarified that Ethiopia has not received any formal communication on this issue. "There has been no official diplomatic communication from Somalia on this matter," Tedla said.

Ethiopia has stated that it has not yet received an official notice from Somalia regarding the withdrawal of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) from Somali territory.

This statement comes amid increasing tensions between the two nations over the maritime deal Ethiopia signed with breakaway Somaliland.

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Nebiyu Tedla, spokesperson for Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to recent comments by Somalia's National Security Adviser, Hussein Maallin, who claimed that Ethiopian troops would be withdrawn by the end of December 2024.

Nebiyu clarified that Ethiopia has not received any formal communication on this issue. "There has been no official diplomatic communication from Somalia on this matter," Tedla said.

He also mentioned that discussions concerning the forces set to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have not yet started. The initial phase of ATMIS is still in progress.

Hussein Maallin announced last month that Somalia expects all Ethiopian troops to withdraw from its territory by the end of December 2024.

According to Hussein, Ethiopian forces will not be part of the African Union-led forces that will operate in Somalia once the ATMIS mandate ends in December.

Siyad Jimale, executive director of Horizon Analyst and Research Network, commented that if Ethiopian forces remain in Somalia against Somalia's wishes, tensions between the two countries and the broader region could escalate.

Siyad believes that unless Ethiopia's pact with the breakaway region of Somaliland is resolved, it will be hard for the Somali government to trust Ethiopian troops to maintain peace within its territory.

"Unless Ethiopia's pact with the breakaway region of Somaliland is repealed or rather resolved, it will be hard for Somalia Government to trust Ethiopia's troops to keep peace within its territory," he told the Eastleigh Voice.

However, the states of Jubaland and South West Somalia want the ENDF to remain in the country to ensure security amid persistent threats from the terror group Al-Shabaab. South West State Security Minister Hassan Abdulkadir Mohamed emphasised the need for thorough discussions before any troop withdrawal.

"If ATMIS are going to be removed from the country, it needs to be discussed. No one can make a unilateral decision. The South West is happy to have Ethiopian troops stay," he told VOA.

There are nearly 6,000 Ethiopian troops serving in Somalia, credited with maintaining stability in parts of Jubaland and South West states. Although the ATMIS mandate is set to end in December, discussions are ongoing for possible extensions. Somalia maintains that Ethiopia should not be part of the forces post-ATMIS.