Ethiopia Plans to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from Somalia as renewed fighting puts pressure on PM Abiy Ahmed

Ethiopia is planning to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from neighboring Somalia as renewed fighting inside Ethiopia puts pressure on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government to redirect military resources toward the widening conflict with rebel groups, Bloomberg has reported.

More than 3,000 Ethiopian troops are expected to begin withdrawing from Somalia in the coming days or weeks, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The reported withdrawal comes amid escalating fighting in Ethiopia, where the government is facing renewed conflict with rebel groups.

Ethiopia has maintained a significant military presence in Somalia as part of security efforts against Al-Shabaab and has also deployed forces under bilateral security arrangements between the two countries.

The reported move could have implications for Somalia’s security operations, given Ethiopia’s longstanding military role in the country.

The development comes shortly after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa during a one-day working visit. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and security and political developments in the Horn of Africa.

Neither the Somali nor Ethiopian government has publicly announced the reported troop withdrawal, and it remains unclear from the Bloomberg report whether all of the troops involved are part of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) or are deployed under separate arrangements.

The reported plan comes at a sensitive time for Somalia as the country continues efforts to strengthen its own security forces and assume greater responsibility for national security.

Mustaqbal