Mogadishu (AX) – The Somali government firmly declared its control over selecting which international allies will provide forces for the African Union’s upcoming Stabilization Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, set to succeed the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) at the dawn of January 2024.
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On Wednesday, a formal communique from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored the necessity for troop decisions to mesh with Somalia’s core interests and sovereign rights.
The administration took a strong stance against Ethiopia’s recent agreement with the self-declared independent region of North Western State of Somalia, calling it a breach of Somalia’s sovereignty and a blow to confidence in peacekeeping undertakings.
“Deployments by Ethiopia in the past have merely fanned the flames of Al-Shabaab actions without fueling growth. Therefore, it’s crucial to strategically choose our partners in AUSSOM to sync with Somalia’s safety and progress aims,” the document stated emphatically.
The Somali authorities emphasized their intention to collaborate closely with entities like the African Union, United Nations, and European Union on AUSSOM, asserting Somalia’s pivotal role in picking troop-contributing nations that honor its sovereignty. They maintained that key decisions shaping the nation’s destiny and security would stand non-negotiable.
Notably, Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre had signaled that Ethiopian troops would pack up and leave Somalia by the terminal point of ATMIS in December 2024. The bone of contention centers around an MoU, allowing Ethiopia access to a 20-kilometer stretch of Red Sea coastline in return for a nod at North Western State of Somalia’s secession — an act Somalia deems a stab at its territorial wholeness.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
