Wednesday October 23, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali government has reaffirmed its authority in determining which Troop Partner Nations (TPNs) will contribute troops to the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), set to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in January 2024.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that decisions regarding troop contributions must align with Somalia's national interests and uphold its sovereignty.
The Mogadishu government also criticized Ethiopia's recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the breakaway region of Somaliland as a violation of Somalia's sovereignty and detrimental to trust in peacekeeping efforts.
"Past Ethiopian deployments have led to increased Al-Shabaab activity and little development. This demands a more strategic selection of troop partners to ensure AUSSOM aligns with Somalia's security and development goals," the statement read.
The Somali government expressed its commitment to working with the African Union, United Nations, and European Union on AUSSOM, with Somalia taking the lead in selecting troop-contributing partners that respect its sovereignty. Somali officials reiterated that decisions impacting the country's future and security would not be compromised.
Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre had previously stated that Ethiopian forces would exit Somalia by the conclusion of ATMIS in December 2024. The dispute stems from an MoU, which granted Ethiopia access to 20 kilometres of Red Sea coastline in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland's independence — a move Somalia sees as undermining its territorial integrity.