JidbaaleSomali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has announced that the Ethiopian military will not be part of the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) until it withdraws from a disputed memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Somaliland earlier this year. The MoU grants Ethiopia access to 20 kilometers of the Red Sea coastline in exchange for the potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence, which Somalia views as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Samoa has postponed the next phase of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia’s (ATMIS) military pullout due to ongoing tensions with Ethiopia. The United Nations Security Council enacted Resolution 2748, allowing ATMIS forces to continue in Somalia until December 2024. Somalia believes all Ethiopian soldiers should be out of the country by the end of 2024, particularly after ATMIS expires.
Ethiopia’s foreign ministry has maintained its right to self-defense and has been contributing troops to Somalia for over a decade. Despite continuous attempts to settle the situation, including two rounds of discussions brokered by Turkey this summer, no resolution has been reached. The underlying problem is Ethiopia’s unwillingness to abrogate the MoU with Somaliland, with a third round of negotiations slated for September in Turkey.
The international community, including the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League, has voiced support for Somalia’s sovereignty and advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. In the interim, Somalia is collaborating with partners, particularly Egypt and Djibouti, to ensure that the new peacekeeping force, AUSSOM, properly handles the nation’s security requirements without Ethiopian participation.
