Ethiopia Accuses Somalia of Collaborating with Foreign Forces to Destabilize the Region
Ethiopian has accused Somalia of collaborating with foreign forces to destabilize the Horn of Africa, a move that has escalated tensions in an already volatile region.
In a recent statement, Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern over the ongoing situation in Somalia, labeling it as “serious” and fraught with potential dangers for regional stability.
This statement came in the wake of reports that Egypt, for the first time in three decades, has sent military aid to Somalia.
The development has raised alarms in Addis Ababa, particularly in the context of strained relations between Ethiopia and Somalia following Ethiopia’s memorandum of understanding with Somaliland.
Egypt, which has long been at odds with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), has now openly shown its support for Somalia, further complicating the geopolitical landscape.
Earlier this month, Egypt signed a military security agreement with Mogadishu, pledging to contribute troops to a new peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
This agreement has added to Ethiopia’s concerns, given the delicate nature of the peace process in Somalia and the ongoing transition from the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Although Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry did not explicitly mention Egypt in its statement, the underlying message was clear.
The ministry warned that any efforts to deploy a new peacekeeping mission in Mogadishu before the completion of the ATMIS transition process could pose significant risks to regional security.
The statement emphasized that while the African Union and the United Nations are actively preparing for the replacement of ATMIS, whose mandate is set to end in December, the region is facing unprecedented challenges.
Ethiopia and other countries contributing troops to ATMIS have repeatedly voiced their concerns about the situation, yet these concerns have not been adequately addressed.
The ministry’s statement highlighted Ethiopia’s commitment to de-escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa, stressing that the country has made continuous efforts to minimize the sacrifices of its soldiers and maintain regional peace.
“Ethiopia will not stand idly by while other actors take actions that threaten the stability of the region,” the statement declared.
The government also made it clear that it would not tolerate any activities that jeopardize the hard-won victories against regional and international terrorist forces.
The Ethiopian government pointed out that it has consistently sought to resolve its disputes with the Somali government through dialogue, and recent talks had shown some promise.
However, it accused the Somalia government of undermining these peace efforts by cooperating with forces intent on destabilizing the region rather than working towards a peaceful resolution.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all nations considering participation in the new Somalia peacekeeping mission to carefully weigh the concerns of the regional countries that have contributed troops to ATMIS.
The statement underscored that Ethiopia is closely monitoring developments in the region that could threaten its national security, though it refrained from directly naming the foreign forces exacerbating regional tensions.
Finally, the Ethiopian government reaffirmed its commitment to resolving its differences with Somalia through peaceful means and urged the international community to take decisive action to avert threats to peace and security in the Horn of Africa.
