Monday September 30, 2024
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a meeting with General Michael E. Langley, Commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in Mogadishu on September 9, 2024. CREDIT/ Villa Somalia
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has accused Ethiopia of seizing control of critical infrastructure in the southern Gedo region, an act he condemned as a violation of Somalia's sovereignty. Ethiopian troops have reportedly taken over airports in Luuq, Dolow, and Bardhere, citing security concerns about Egypt's involvement in the region.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, President Hassan Sheikh stated, "Ethiopia has taken control of key airports and roads in Gedo under the pretext of preventing Egypt from gaining a foothold. This is an unlawful infringement on Somalia's territorial sovereignty."
President Mohamud blasted Ethiopia's attempts to assert control over Somali waters, accusing Addis Ababa of seeking military dominance.
"Ethiopia doesn't just want a port; it aims to establish military power in the Red Sea, which is completely unacceptable," said Hassan Sheikh. "Ethiopia's goals are twofold: first, to build a port, and second, to establish a naval base. Both of these actions violate Somalia's sovereignty and international law."
Negotiations between Somalia and Ethiopia have faltered, with three rounds of talks having already failed. A fourth round, which was scheduled, did not occur due to Ethiopia's refusal to honour Somalia's territorial integrity.
Ethiopian troops from the 46th Motorized Battalion, operating under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), arrived at Bardhere Airport in Somalia's Gedo region this week to ostensibly conduct runway repairs. Though officially framed as part of a Quick Impact Project to improve local infrastructure, Ethiopia’s increasing military control over airfields in Gedo amidst weighted tensions with Mogadishu and Cairo has raised alarms in the region.
Somali officials are convinced that Ethiopia could be seeking to prevent the deployment of Egyptian troops to the area, as Somalia and Egypt have recently strengthened their military cooperation. An Egyptian warship delivered a second shipment of weapons to Somalia last week, including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, officials reported. Egypt's weapons shipments to Somalia are a key element of Cairo's plan to curb Ethiopia's expanding influence, not just in Somalia but across the entire Horn of Africa.
Under a new defence agreement, Egypt plans to send forces to Somalia as part of the upcoming African Union Stabilization and Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Ethiopia, which has long maintained a significant military presence in Somalia through ATMIS, is facing a December 2024 deadline for troop withdrawal. The move to control airports in Gedo is believed to be a strategic effort to disrupt Egypt's growing influence in Somalia, especially as tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) continue to escalate.
Hassan Sheikh asserted Somalia's right to involve Egypt in the African Union's new mission in Somalia.
"Egypt has the right to request to join peacekeeping operations in Somalia, and we have the right to accept. Ethiopia, however, has no place in this discussion. Egypt and Somalia have been allies for a long time, and we will decide who participates in our affairs," the president concluded.