WASHINGTON – U.S. officials are expressing unease over the simmering fracas over the Ethiopian and Somali Tug of War concerning the Red Sea. The showdown has seized Mogadishu’s attention for nearly nine months, sparked by Addis Ababa’s overt desire to establish a foothold.
In a controversial twist, Ethiopia has inked an agreement with North Western State of Somalia, a self-declared autonomous region of Somalia. This pact could potentially grant Ethiopia a 20-kilometer slice of the Red Sea for erecting a military outpost and a harbor, provided North Western State of Somalia’s quest for statehood recognition gets Ethiopia’s nod.
This development has boiled Somalia’s beans, prompting it to accuse Ethiopia of hawking its own ambitions of territorial gobbling and sovereignty infringement. Somalia responded by cementing military ties with Egypt, adding more zigzags to the Horn of Africa’s geopolitical tapestry.
Washington bigwigs and their buddies in the West are twitching at the fact that Somalia, engrossed in its spat with Ethiopia, has inadvertently dropped the ball, letting Al-Shabaab—an organization back in the throes of havoc—creepily reclaim its turf. Before this fracas, Somalia was chest-deep in its battle against the Al-Shabaab militants.
Military gains against Al-Shabaab over two years had been gloriously tangible, especially in the central and southern quarters, showcasing a diminished rebel presence post-operations. A considerable number of militants were either slain or opted to throw in the towel and surrender.
Furthermore, the Somali government had effectively identified and torpedoed many of Al-Shabaab’s funding streams, effectively shackling the group’s operations. American State Department whispers, however, reveal that these hard-won victories could now face a rocky road ahead due to the latest regional clash.
Adding more spice to the mix, Egypt—bristling over Ethiopia’s colossal Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile—has aligned itself with Somalia, rolling into Mogadishu with a ship brimming with artillery and anti-tank gear just last month.
The U.S., with a deployment of 450 commandos and support forces on Somali turf, mentoring local powerhouses Danab battling Al-Shabaab and Islamic State, is sweating bullets over Egypt’s involvement, fearing it could further tangle the web in the Al-Shabaab skirmish, the Wall Street Journal suggests.
Somalia underscores that Egypt will helm a fresh endeavor dubbed the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM), intended to supersede the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by the turn of three moons.
Historically, Ethiopia has played a crucial role in Somalia’s peacekeeping missions, with its troops lauded for liberating strategic locales across the nation. However, with a weary sigh, Somalia declares itself done with Ethiopia, labeling it an unwelcome player in peacekeeping pursuits.
The situation stirs a hornet’s nest of opinions regarding Egypt’s increased hand in the frosty dealings between Somalia and Ethiopia. Uganda, an unwavering ally in combating Al-Shabaab, raises eyebrows at Cairo’s intentions, whispering doubt given its erstwhile stint from peace squads.
Somalia has ramped down its zest against Al-Shabaab, with U.S. voices echoing the sentiment that the Ethiopian tangle bears a share of the blame. The mysterious halting of phase two Al-Shabaab operations in the southern parts, despite earlier commitments, underscores this glitch.
Al-Shabaab has, in recent moons, unleashed assaults targeting multiple strategic military nodes across Somali land. Just this past weekend, the group set its sights on an Ethiopian National Defense Forces-managed base.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had earlier flagged Ethiopia’s alleged expansionist desires within the Horn of Africa as a trigger for Al-Shabaab’s resurgence from its erstwhile downturn.
AXADLETM
