Ethiopia is within its rights to continue taking action against the threats posed by Al-Shabaab with or without an AU-led peacekeeping mission in Somalia, say officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The comments come as rumors swirl that the Somali government is looking to replace Ethiopian peacekeeping troops with military personnel from Egypt as the country prepares to host the third version of an AU-led peacekeeping mission within its borders since 2007.
“Somalia has every right to enter into an agreement with any country. It has similar military agreements with Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, the Emirates, Saudi, and others. This is not concerning for us,” said Nebiyu Tedla, Ministry spokesperson, during a press briefing on Thursday.
The AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is set to begin in 2025, replacing the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which has been ongoing since 2022. Although the gradual withdrawal of troops under ATMIS has been underway for almost a year, a recent slew of deadly attacks by Al-Shabaab has led Mogadishu to request the implementation of a replacement peacekeeping program.
The security councils of the AU and UN are expected to disclose the list of countries that will be contributing troops to AUSSOM by next month, but recent tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia have led to doubts over whether the former will be part of the latest peacekeeping mission.
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Officials at the Foreign Affairs Ministry warn that the reconfiguration of the AU peacekeeping mission should not be another source of tension and conflict in the Horn. Last week, the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) welcomed offers from Egypt and Djibouti to contribute troops to the upcoming mission.
“Ethiopia believes that the countries that will be contributing troops to AUSSOM should be cautiously selected. The composition of troop contributors in AUSSOM should not be a source of tension and conflict among Horn countries. We strongly believe that the composition must not be a source of another regional conflict,” said Nebiyu.
Still, the Spokesperson stated that Ethiopia has the right to act in defense against what he characterized as a “highly strengthened” Al-Shabaab.
“There is no power that can stop Ethiopia from taking necessary action without asking permission from anyone. Ethiopia and its regional governments will continue working on this, in coordination with all neighboring countries. There is no way Ethiopia will allow any force that opposes its interest to emerge in Somalia. Ethiopia will continue taking calculated actions to maintain its national interest,” said Nebiyu.
He cited reports that the terrorist group is operating with new, more sophisticated technology, including drones, in an intensified round of tactically agile and increasingly unpredictable attacks on military installations and civilians.
The Ministry contends an underground network of extortion, illegal taxation, and contraband charcoal trading feeds Al-Shabaab’s coffers and contributes to its growing influence.
“We hope the AU and UN peace and security council, and others, understand this issue. Troop contributing countries, including Ethiopia, have a strong interest in seeing peace in Somalia. Before deploying the new mission, their experiences and lessons must be drawn. These countries have a better understanding of Al-Shabaab than any others,” said Nebiyu.
The Spokesperson argued it would also be more financially viable to make use of troops already stationed in Somalia for the upcoming mission, instead of deploying new ones.
“Ethiopia shares over 2,000 kilometers of borders with Somalia. Ethiopia has been contributing troops to Somalia for over a decade. Ethiopia has security concerns arising from Al-Shabaab. Therefore, Ethiopia is following the issue closely,” said Nebiyu.
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