Thousands of Somaliland soldiers have entered Ethiopia for training, as reported by Somaliland’s state television.
Residents of Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, have observed several Tata cars carrying Somali youths passing through the area.
According to the BBC, these soldiers began arriving in Ethiopia on July 11, 2024, to undergo military training.
The state-run Somaliland television station broadcast footage of thousands of army personnel en route to Ethiopia for this training.
The report highlighted that Major General Nuh Ismail, Chief of General Staff of Somaliland, accompanied the trainees.
The Ethiopian government has not yet issued any statements regarding the military training.
Details about the exact number of soldiers or the specific nature of the training have not been disclosed, other than mentioning “thousands” of soldiers.
Television footage showed multiple buses and trucks crossing from Somaliland into Ethiopia through the border town of Wajale.
So far, neither the Ethiopian nor Somalia governments have responded to inquiries about this development.
Six months ago, senior military officials from Somaliland visited Addis Ababa to discuss military cooperation with their Ethiopian counterparts.
Meanwhile, Abdisaid Muse Ali, a former security advisor to the Somalia president and former foreign minister, suggested that al-Shabaab is the only option to counter perceived threats from Ethiopia.
Ali stated in a BBC Somalia interview that “al-Shabaab is the only competent force that can protect us from Ethiopia’s aggression,” and criticized Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for having expansionist ambitions.
Ali also controversially rejected labeling al-Shabaab as a terrorist organization.
In response, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud condemned support for al-Shabaab, stating, “Supporting al-Shabaab is a sin.”
Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a port agreement in Addis Ababa last January. According to this agreement, Ethiopia agreed to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign country, and in return, Somaliland agreed to provide Ethiopia with a port for establishing a navy.
Following the agreement, Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, publicly opposed the deal and has taken various measures against Ethiopia.
Ethiopia and Somalia have since entered talks in Ankara, mediated by Turkey, and have agreed to hold a second round of discussions at the end of August.
In a recent address to the House of Representatives, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused Somalia of seeking mediation from other countries instead of directly engaging with Ethiopia.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia responded, stating that Ethiopia is not ready to resolve the diplomatic tensions between the two nations through dialogue.
During his opening speech at the National Council on Saturday, July 6, 2024, President Mohamud emphasized his government’s desire to ease the diplomatic strain with Ethiopia.
However, he expressed frustration, stating that Ethiopia has shown no willingness to engage in dialogue.
This statement came after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s remarks a few days earlier, where he criticized the Somali government for “choosing to approach other countries and accuse us instead of talking to us.”
Addressing the issue of Somalia in response to questions from members of the House of Representatives last week, Prime Minister Ahmed stated, “There is no need to go from country to country to sue us; it is possible to come directly to Addis Ababa. We are ready to talk.”
President Mohamud countered by saying that the Ethiopian government has never made an effort to communicate with Somalia to resolve the ongoing crisis.
“Ethiopia, as a neighboring country, has never talked to us to solve current issues in cooperation,” he said, adding, “Instead, they go around and ask for mediation.”
