“Ethiopia’s bid to annex a segment of Somalia, ostensibly to secure sea access, is both illegal and unwarranted,” he asserted.
“Comparable pacts have been forged by other nations. Thus, Somalia’s government stirring up antagonism to mask its internal political strife is uncalled for,” he remarked to the General Assembly.
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Faced with Ethiopia’s design, Somalia has vowed to expel Ethiopian troops integrated into an African Union mission fighting Al-Shabaab militants since 2007.
Mogadishu has brokered a defense agreement with Cairo, allowing shipments of weaponry that have alarmed Ethiopians who fear the arms might end up with Al-Shabaab.
The African Union mission is scheduled for a revamp at year’s end, and Egypt has offered, for the first time, to replace the Ethiopian contingent.
Somalia might also demand the withdrawal of the approximately 10,000 Ethiopian soldiers stationed along their shared frontier to thwart Islamist incursions.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
