MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Nearly 20,000 Ethiopian troops have entered Somalia over the past days, triggering concerns as Addis Ababa plans to recognize the break-away region of Somaliland amid tensions with the Somali federal government.
Large columns of Ethiopian troops arrived in the town of Mataban in Hiran region on Friday, though they have been turned back, according to local officials. Mataban district commissioner told BBC Somali that the Ethiopian troops numbered about 4,000 soldiers and claimed that they had the consent of the Somali government to carry out operations against Al-Shabaab in the region.
The Ethiopian forces have established bases on the outskirts of the town, but their destination has so far remained unknown. There are reports suggesting that the Ethiopian troops are heading to the Al-Shabaab stronghold of El-bur in Galgadud to help Somali government retake large swathes of territory lost in militant counter-offensive over the past months.
It comes a week after Somalia’s National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh said that they will not cooperate with Ethiopia unless it retracts a controversial sea access deal with the break-away region of Somaliland, insisting that Ethiopian troops will be expelled from the country once their mandate ends in December.
The silence of the federal government about renewed Ethiopian military maneuvers has raised questions with analysts hinting at possible cooperation between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa on a planned joint offensive against Islamist insurgents. Last year, Ethiopia was among other frontline countries who had agreed to provide more than 30,000 fresh troops at the request of Somali government to launch a united operational campaign against Al-Shabaab.
Former deputy governor for security in Banadir region Ali Yare said on Friday that 11,000 Ethiopian troops arrived in Hiran region alone, in what could be the largest number of ENDF soldiers to cross over the region’s border in the last 10 years.
More than 5,000 Ethiopian troops entered the Somali border towns of Dolow and Luuq in south Somalia last week, in what local news website claimed to be part of an initiative by Addis Ababa to annex key towns in Gedo region.
Over the past months, the residents in south Somalia’s Gedo region have been complaining about atrocities committed by Ethiopian troops, who have also begun collecting taxes from residents, but the Somali government has yet given no comments. Ethiopian forces also looted livestock animals from residents in Hiran region on Friday.
Analysts believe that Ethiopia is planning to use taxes it collects from residents in Gedo, Bay and Bakol regions to fund its planned offensive against Al-Shabaab after receiving permission from the federal government. In the agreement signed last year, frontline forces were required to fund their operations without any support from donor nations, who have already been fatigued by financing ATMIS peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, there are local media reports suggesting that Ethiopia is planning to recognize the break-away region of Somaliland during a meeting between Abiy Ahmed and Muse Bihi scheduled for July.
It is not yet clear if the deployment of the strong Ethiopian force in south and central Somalia is meant to prevent possible retaliation attacks from Al-Shabaab, which previously condemned the deal as “illegal” and called on Somalis to take up arms.
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