MOGADISHU, Somalia—Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur has issued a strong response to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and army chief Birhanu Jula, claiming their leadership is faltering amid dwindling military strength and morale. His remarks directly counter Jula’s provocative statements about President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which have gone viral on social media.
In a recent interview, Jula asserted that President Mohamud couldn’t control his capital, Mogadishu, let alone confront Ethiopia, which he claims plays a crucial role in securing the city.
In a post on X, Minister Nur argued that Jula’s remarks reflect a government in turmoil, struggling to manage its military and foreign policy effectively. He stated that the strength of Somalia couldn’t be measured solely by the might of its government. “If Jula believes that his power lies in thousands of uniformed soldiers and hundreds of tanks, he is sorely mistaken,” Nur said.
He highlighted that millions of young Somalis stand ready to defend their homeland, making foreign support unnecessary. Furthermore, he noted that history has shown Ethiopia has faced significant setbacks in its past aggressions—lessons now studied in military academies worldwide.
Nur emphasized that it is clear to everyone that the leadership claimed by Abiy and Jula is rejected by all ethnic groups in Ethiopia, leaving them confined to a besieged Addis Ababa. Despite their military efforts, he argued that Jula and his forces have exhausted their resources in their actions against the Ethiopian people and its diverse communities.
While Nur expressed a desire for a peaceful relationship with Ethiopia, he concluded, “If peace is not achieved, the weak leadership of Abiy Ahmed and Jula should recognize that those who instill fear will ultimately be consumed by the very flames they have ignited.”
The escalating war of words between Somalia and Ethiopia is straining their already fragile relations. Diplomatic ties soured in January when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a maritime Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region of Somalia. In response, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud invited Egypt to assume Ethiopia’s peacekeeping role, viewing the MoU as a serious infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty.
Egypt has accepted the invitation and is ready to deploy troops, presenting a new security challenge for Ethiopia—especially amid ongoing tensions surrounding the $4 billion dam project on the Blue Nile, which poses significant concerns for Egypt’s water supply.
On Thursday, a tripartite meeting took place in Asmara, gathering the Presidents of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud; Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki; and Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This meeting marks a potential military alliance among the three nations aimed at countering Ethiopia, which may further heighten tensions in the Horn of Africa.
Following the meeting, Somalia and Egypt released a joint statement addressing regional issues, focusing on stability and cooperation regarding maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. They urged the African Union to support Somalia’s request for Egyptian troops in a new mission, set to replace the current ATMIS mission next year, as Somalia seeks the removal of all Ethiopian forces from its soil in retaliation for Ethiopia’s recent MoU with Somaliland.
The region appears to be edging toward a proxy conflict, with Somalia urging Ethiopia to rescind its agreement with Somaliland—a request that Ethiopia has yet to address.
