The Somali government is considering Ethiopian troop involvement in the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), following a recent diplomatic breakthrough.
A senior Somali official, speaking to newsmen, revealed that Somalia had already secured and allocated troops from four AU-contributing nations—Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, and Uganda—for the peacekeeping operation set to begin next month.
However, after a conciliatory dialogue hosted by Turkey last week, Somali leaders are now open to reconsidering Ethiopia’s participation in the mission.
Previously, Mogadishu demanded Ethiopia withdraw its forces from Somali territory unless Addis Ababa abandoned a contentious Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland.
This agreement granted Ethiopia access to a strategic 20-kilometer stretch of Red Sea coastline in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence, a move Somalia opposed.
The talks in Ankara marked a turning point, with both countries agreeing to respect each other’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. This paved the way for Somalia to revisit Ethiopian involvement in AUSSOM, despite having already arranged troop contributions from other AU nations.
Ethiopia’s focus remains on combating al-Shabab, as reiterated by Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nebiat Getachew in recent statements. However, the renewed dialogue signals a possible shift in collaboration between the two nations.
