MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia announced on Wednesday that it will determine the direction of a new peacekeeping mission set to begin operations in the country next year, indicating that Ethiopian troops will not participate, as their presence has been viewed as having emboldened Al-Shabaab rather than diminished it.
“As we transition from ATMIS to the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), Somalia will lead the mission’s direction with a clear focus on sovereignty,” Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“Ethiopia’s recent unilateral actions, including an illegal agreement with Somalia’s northern region, violate our sovereignty and erode the trust essential for peacekeeping.”
In the statement, the Somali Foreign Ministry contended that previous Ethiopian troop deployments in Somalia have resulted in increased Al-Shabaab activity with minimal development, highlighting the necessity for a strategic selection of troop partners to ensure that AUSSOM aligns with Somalia’s security and development objectives.
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