Somalia is reportedly angered after Ethiopian commanders refused to intervene in the South West state conflict, as forces loyal to ousted leader Abdiaziz Laftagareen recaptured five strategic towns.
The Somali government asked Ethiopian military commanders stationed in the country to support federal forces against Laftagareen’s fighters and defend towns where Ethiopian troops have maintained positions for more than a decade, officials reported.
Ethiopian commanders rejected the request, saying their mandate did not extend to involvement in political disputes among Somali leaders, the report said. The refusal has left Mogadishu considering its next steps as the conflict challenges the regional administration installed by the federal government.
Laftagareen was removed from power in a federal military offensive in March. His forces have since fought against government troops, recently advancing through parts of the South West state and retaking five towns with little resistance, according to the officials who declined to be named.
The dispute has also exposed tensions over the role of foreign forces in Somalia’s internal political conflicts.
Ethiopia’s military reportedly refused to allow Mogadishu to bring Egyptian forces into South West state or establish a Turkish military base in areas of the Bay and Bakool regions under Ethiopian control.
Somalia’s parliamentary speaker, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, called on the federal government to hold Ethiopian forces accountable for failing to defend towns recently captured by Laftagareen’s fighters, the sources said.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia in the early 2010s to fight the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militant group, operating under bilateral arrangements and African Union missions. Their counterinsurgency role has made Ethiopia an important security actor in Somalia, despite periodic tensions between the two countries.
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The Ethiopian commanders’ position reflects a distinction between counterterrorism operations and involvement in domestic political disputes, according to the report.
The latest tensions follow talks last month between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, during which Mohamud reportedly sought Ethiopia’s assistance against Laftagareen’s forces.
The discussions collapsed after Mohamud traveled to Egypt the same week to meet Egyptian and Eritrean leaders. Relations between Ethiopia and those two countries have been strained by regional rivalries and disputes over security and strategic interests.
Since then, Somalia’s federal government has accused Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and al-Shabab of working together against it in South West state. The allegations were reported by Somali Guardian; independent evidence supporting them was not provided in the report.
Ethiopia and Kenya appear to be maintaining a neutral position in the dispute, according to the publication, frustrating Mogadishu’s efforts to secure regional support against its domestic opponents.
The developments come amid wider political tensions in Somalia, where disagreements between the federal government and regional actors have increasingly intersected with security operations and relations with neighboring countries.
The federal government’s response to Ethiopia’s refusal, and whether the two countries will hold further talks on the conflict, remained unclear.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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