MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Talks between Somalia and Ethiopia have commenced to explore the potential integration of the Ethiopian Defense Forces into the newly operational African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, which launched on Wednesday. However, underlying contention persists, with additional negotiations slated to resolve the ongoing deadlock.
On Thursday, Ethiopia’s Defense Minister Aisha Mohammed, joined by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Mesganu Arga and high-ranking officers from the army and intelligence departments, convened with Somalia’s Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar, and other senior officials in Mogadishu.
Somali officials had previously announced the successful procurement of 11,000 troops from Uganda, Djibouti, and Kenya for AUSSOM, signaling that Ethiopia may not play a role in the mission. However, a senior Somali official confirmed to VOA Horn of Africa that the potential participation of Ethiopian forces was thoroughly discussed during the talks.
“We held productive discussions on key issues, including post-ATMIS troop composition and the potential role of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF). Somalia informed the Ethiopian side that other Troop Partner Nations have been allocated to positions previously held by ENDF,” the official stated.
A central point of contention was Somalia’s proposal to relocate Ethiopian troops from specific towns, even if they are permitted to join AUSSOM. Ethiopian officials expressed dissatisfaction with the suggestion, citing the logistical challenges of redeploying forces from regions where they have been stationed for an extended period.
“The Ethiopian delegation noted the challenges of relocating their forces from areas where they have operated for an extended period. While no final decision was made, a Somali delegation will travel to Addis Ababa in the near future to finalize the details. The talks reflected a shared commitment to mutual understanding and collaboration,” the official added.
The Ethiopian delegation left Somalia late Thursday, and further negotiations are expected in the coming weeks to resolve the outstanding issues related to troop deployment.
These ongoing talks underscore the complexity of finalizing troop compositions for AUSSOM and highlight the delicate negotiations between Somalia and Ethiopia.
