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Somalia battles a deadly Islamist insurgency. In its fights against terror group Al-Shabab, Somalia works with neighbouring countries including Ethiopia.
Since the announcement of a deal between Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland three months ago, tensions have been brewing between the two east African neighbours and security partners.
Somalia on April 4 ordered Ethiopia’s ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours. It also closed of Ethiopia’s consulates in the region of Somaliland and the semiautonomous region of Puntland. Diplomats and personnel stationed at the consulates were asked to vacate Somalia within a week. Somalia’s Foreign Ministry also recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations and the Cabinet resolution cited Ethiopia’s interference in Somalia’s “internal affairs” as the reason for the decisions.
Ethiopia signed in January, a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, which Somalia denounced as infringing upon its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The memorandum was to allow Ethiopia’s access to the sea through Somaliland and in return Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent country. Ethiopia is the world’s most populous state without access to sea.
On April 3rd, Ethiopia’s foreign affairs minister held trade talks with a delegation from the Puntland region without prior coordination with the federal government of Somalia. Somalia battles a deadly Islamist insurgency. In its fights against the terror group Al-Shabab, Somalia works with neighbouring countries including Ethiopia.
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https://trendsnafrica.com/ethiopia-told-to-retract-its-treaty-with-somaliland-2/
Addis Ababa has deployed military personnel in Somalia through the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Some 16,000 troops from 5 countries are still in Somalia down from 18 586 in 2022. There will be graduates pulling out of troops by June 2024. A complete withdrawal of troops is expected by the end of the year. Somalia and Ethiopia enjoyed peaceful relations until January this year when the memorandum with Somaliland sparked diplomatic tensions between the East African neighbours.
