Foreign Ministry Denies Ethiopian Involvement In Doolow Attack

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is “dismayed” by a statement from the Somali government incriminating Ethiopian forces in a deadly attack on Somali security personnel on the morning of December 23, 2024.

A statement released by the Somali Foreign Ministry yesterday blamed Ethiopian forces for an “unprovoked and unexpected” attack on the border town of Doolow, which it says resulted in numerous injuries and fatalities, including civilians, at three different security bases.

The development comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud agreed to put an end to the tensions that have marred relations between the two countries for the past year. The terms of the ‘Ankara Declaration’ will reportedly grant Ethiopia maritime access under the “sovereign authority” of Somalia.

“This act of aggression comes at a time when the Federal Government of Somalia is engaged in peacebuilding endeavours to advance the Ankara Declaration,” reads Mogadishu’s statement from yesterday.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry has since responded with its own statement, denying any involvement in the attack and pointing its fingers instead at “certain elements intent on derailing the normalization of relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.”

– Advertisement –

“These third parties are intent on destabilizing the Horn of Africa and are perennial spoilers of peace in the region,” reads the statement.

The Ministry reiterated its commitment to the Ankara Declaration and pledged to work with Mogadishu to “prevent similar incidents” in the future.

The attack also coincided with the arrival of senior Somali dignitaries to Addis Ababa on an official visit aimed at “deepening bilateral ties,” according to another statement released by the Somali Foreign Ministry yesterday.