The Ethiopian government has announced that its armed forces are fully prepared, with special emphasis on its military presence along the eastern border with Somalia.
The Ethiopian Air Force has ramped up its operations to safeguard the country’s eastern airspace amid rising tensions in the Horn of Africa.
In response to recent developments in the region, the Ethiopian Air Force has taken active measures to protect the nation’s eastern airspace, which borders Somalia.
Colonel Dereje Bushre, commander of the Ethiopian Air Force, emphasized that the 3rd Air Division is on heightened alert, ready to fulfill its national duty and protect the country from any external threats.
“The 3rd Air Division serves as a key defense and support unit actively monitoring and protecting our airspace, particularly in the eastern region,” Colonel Bushre said, underscoring the unit’s strategic importance in maintaining Ethiopia’s territorial integrity.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Defense also confirmed that the Eastern Command of the Ethiopian Defense Forces is in a state of full military readiness.
According to the Ministry, troops stationed in the region are prepared to defend the nation from any external aggression or terrorist activities.
“Our soldiers are fully prepared to sacrifice their lives to protect the sovereignty of Ethiopia and uphold the trust placed in them by the nation,” a Defense Ministry official stated.
Tensions in the Horn of Africa have been escalating since Ethiopia signed a port agreement with the self-governing region of Somaliland nine months ago in Addis Ababa.
This agreement strained diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Somalia, leading to a breakdown in formal ties.
In response, Somalia has strengthened its military cooperation with Egypt and Turkey, signing new defense pacts.
Egypt has reportedly sent military personnel and weapons to Somalia as part of a broader strategy to conduct joint military exercises in the coming weeks.
This development has raised concerns in Ethiopia, which sees Egypt’s involvement as a potential threat to regional stability.
Ethiopia, in turn, has called on Somalia to exercise caution and avoid actions that could destabilize the Horn of Africa.
Meanwhile, Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator between Ethiopia and Somalia, hosting negotiations in Ankara aimed at resolving the tensions.
However, talks held in June and July ended without an agreement, leaving the situation unresolved.
In a surprising diplomatic move, neighboring Djibouti has announced that it is willing to offer Ethiopia access to the Port of Tajura as part of an effort to de-escalate tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Although this offer has been made public, the Ethiopian government has not yet confirmed whether it will accept Djibouti’s proposal.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Taye Atske Selassie, addressed the growing tensions in a recent statement, recalling that Ethiopia has been invaded by Somalia twice before.
He stressed that Ethiopia would not allow history to repeat itself and urged Somalia to reconsider its current course of action.
Western nations have also called for both countries to resolve their disputes through dialogue to avoid further escalation in the already fragile Horn of Africa region.
