Ethiopia is planning to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from Somalia, according to a report by Bloomberg. The move comes as fighting in northern Ethiopia is putting pressure on the country's military. Although the Somali government has stated that it has not received formal notification of the withdrawal, sources close to the matter say that the Ethiopian troops may begin their exit in the coming days or weeks.
The planned withdrawal is not clear to affect only Ethiopian troops serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) or those stationed in Somalia under bilateral agreements. Ethiopia currently has thousands of troops in Somalia, with some serving under AUSSOM and others stationed in southern and central regions. These troops have been involved in the fight against Al-Shabaab and maintaining security near the border between the two countries.
A Somali Ministry of Defense official stated that Mogadishu had not received any formal notification from Ethiopia regarding the withdrawal of its troops. The official emphasized that if such a plan is communicated, they will inform the public. The Ethiopian troops have been playing a crucial role in Somalia's security landscape for a long time.
The news of the planned withdrawal comes amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, particularly in the Tigray region. The conflict has reignited four years after the Pretoria agreement in 2022, which ended a two-year war. The situation has escalated following the formation of an alliance between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and other armed groups against the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Reports from Ethiopia indicate that the fighting has spread to parts of the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions. If the withdrawal plan is implemented, questions will arise about who will fill the security gaps left by the Ethiopian troops, particularly in areas where they have been operating for a long time.
The potential withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia comes at a time when Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held a meeting in Addis Ababa. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional security issues, but there was no official statement on the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) recently reported that Ethiopian troops in Sector 4 had completed a rotation, with new troops replacing those who had been serving for three years. However, there has been no official confirmation from Somalia, the African Union, or Ethiopia regarding a change in the number of Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
Key points
- Ethiopia plans to withdraw over 3,000 troops from Somalia amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia.
