MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s government has accused Ethiopia of meddling in its internal affairs and fueling tribal conflict in the Gedo region, a day after hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers crossed into Somalia and set up defensive positions in the same region.
Somalia’s Ministry of Information said Ethiopian troops from Dollow town were blocked by locals and Somali forces on Friday as they tried to advance toward Buulo Hawo, resulting in a standoff.
The ministry accused Ethiopia of attempting to incite clan conflict, describing it as part of ongoing violations of Somalia’s sovereignty. It also called on the United Nations and the African Union to condemn Ethiopia’s actions.
Ethiopia has yet to respond to the allegations. This comes a day after additional Ethiopian troops crossed into Somalia. These troops, traveling in armored vehicles and trucks, are believed to be non-African Union forces, and they set up positions in Dollow town.
The troop deployment also follows a recent meeting between Ethiopian officials and senior representatives from Jubaland, a regional state that has an ongoing political rift with Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Reliable sources suggest that the Ethiopian troops could support Jubaland in its tensions with the Somali government. If proven true, then President Ahmed Madobe of Jubaland will have outside power to stay in office despite his defiance of the country’s unified electoral system.
Despite having 25 days left to withdraw its troops from Somalia, Ethiopia deployed additional soldiers, raising concerns. Somalia said that if Ethiopia fails to pull its troops out by December 31, they will be considered occupying forces.
Ethiopia also lost its position as a troop-contributing country for the new African Union mission in Somalia, set to begin in January next year, due to its refusal to revoke the controversial MoU on Red Sea access with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia.
Somalia has decided to exclude Ethiopia from the mission for the MoU with Somaliland, which Somalia considers part of its territory. The MoU was also deemed a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, leading the country to pick Egypt to replace Ethiopia’s peacekeepers.
While facing demands for an urgent troop withdrawal, Ethiopia appears determined to keep its forces in Somalia, especially as Egypt, which Ethiopia sees as a regional rival due to their ongoing dispute over Nile waters, prepares to deploy troops for the new AU mission in Somalia.
Ethiopia also cites the need to protect its borders from Al Shabab, an Al Qaeda-linked group based in Somalia. It remains unclear how Somalia will respond to Ethiopia’s defiance, especially since its troops are no longer needed.
