GAROWE, Somalia (via KAAB TV) – Ethiopia found itself in the crosshairs after an unexpected move by Somalia’s government. The announcement came from none other than Foreign Minister Ahmed Fiqi, a onetime Islamic Courts Union member—an alliance giving rise to Al-Shabaab. He hinted that Somalia might consider backing Ethiopian rebels if Addis Ababa persists with its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland.
On Thursday, Fiqi stated, “Ethiopia’s continuation with the MoU opens the door for Somalia to establish contacts with Ethiopian rebels.” The warning from Mogadishu leaves little to the imagination and has clearly sparked ire in Ethiopia.
Ethiopian officials weren’t amused. Nebiyu Tedla, spokesperson for Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, minced no words: “It’s laughable to see Al-Shabaab operatives masquerading as government officials. They can barely manage beyond the confines of Banaadir, spewing empty nationalism festooned with shallow tribe loyalties.”
“Such rhetoric undermines years of progress and drags Somalia into chaos,” Tedla added emphatically. This sharp retort underscores the rocky relationship between the two neighboring nations, especially following the Ethiopia- North Western of SomaliaMoU inked earlier this year.
As these pointed barbs fly between the capitals, there’s notable discord within Somalia itself. Regional states—Southwest, Puntland, and Jubbaland—are pushing back against Mogadishu’s recent gambit to invite Egyptian troops into Somalia, a move ripe with potential to inflame Ethiopian tensions.
Further complicating matters, local leaders from the Gedo, Bakool, and Hiiraan regions have voiced staunch opposition to removing the Ethiopian forces tasked with ensuring local security. They stand defiant against Mogadishu’s attempts to eject Ethiopian peacekeepers from the African Union Mission in Somalia.
