BAIDOA, Somalia – Ethiopia’s National Defense Forces [ENDF] gathered in several parts of the southwest and raised flags before the planned battle with Al-Shabaab militants, who still control large parts of the countryside in central and southern Somalia, as the military works hard to liberate many cities.
ENDF troops are key security stakeholders in the Horn of Africa and have been associated with the liberation of key areas, which were once under the linked al-Qaeda group that controls internal parts of the country.
The ENDF troops man Sector III and parts of Sector VI of the African Union Mission Forces [AMISOM] which includes parts of southwestern and Jubaland states, where al-Shabaab infiltration is massive according to several security reports.
Before the massive offensive, Ethiopian troops were pictured hoisting flags in parts of Baidoa, the current southwestern seat, in the company of regional troops who also raised their flags before the offensive against the militants.
The planned ENDF military operation comes as Somalia prepares for elections and Ethiopian troops have been accused of directly interfering in the country’s policies and FMS investigations as Farmajo maintained close ties with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
In 2018, ENDF troops were accused of helping Farmajo put her husband in the southwest after they arrested former Al-Shabaab deputy commander Mukhtar Robow, who drove to the regional presidency after abolishing Al-Shabaab.
As Robow continues to fight for his freedom, Ethiopian troops have also been linked to the current Gedo regional crisis, where they are said to be helping SNA forces to take over local administrations led by Jubaland’s authorities.
Sometimes there were allegations that they wanted to rig out Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe, who is said to have close ties with Kenya. When the plans collapsed, the troops are accused of using violence and threats, a claim that has been admitted by AMISOM but refuted by Addis Ababa.
However, the operation has been going on for almost a year now, with Ethiopian authorities saying it will help “crush them once and for all”. Ethiopian AMISOM troops are expected to leave after full implementation of the Somali Transitional Plan [STP] at the end of 2021 but there are often accusations that Addis Ababa has over 1000 non-Amisom troops in Somalia.
AXADLETM
