Kenya and Ethiopia will continue working with all stakeholders in the search of a solution to peace and security issues in Somalia, President William Ruto has said.
The President said this after holding talks with Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa on Friday, February 14.
“We value our close ties with the government and the people of Ethiopia. Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed has, over the years, proven to be a close partner, friend, and brother. We commend his leadership in regional peace and stability,” Ruto said.
Ruto remarks come at a time when Somalia has rejected Ethiopia’s attempt to join the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) , which succeeded the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Somalia’s Permanent Representative at the UN announced the decision during a UN Security Council meeting on December 27, 2024.
Ambassador Mohamed Rabi Yusuf told the UNSC that due to documented actions of Ethiopian and Somalia in the past 11 months, Somalia had undertaken a comprehensive review of its security arrangements during the transition from ATMIS to AUSSOM.
“In that period, our regional partners from troop contributing countries have shown remarkable solidarity, pledging to maintain our necessary force of 11,000 troops of AUSSOM. This commitment addresses any security vacuum created by Ethiopia while sustaining progress in the fight against Al-Shabaab,” Amb Yusuf said.
He added that Somalia maintains that the AUSSOM troop allocations be completed through bilateral agreements which have been in place since November.
“As Somalia moves forward, we will continue to engage in future security partnerships that serve our national and shared regional interests,” the envoy said.
Ethiopia Ambassador to Kenya Gen Bacha Debele has addressed the exclusion of his country’s troops, saying the loss of their strategic and tactical knowledge could create critical gaps that other AUSSOM forces may struggle to fill.
“Their limited presence could weaken the mission’s overall effectiveness. This, in turn, may allow Al-Shabaab to exploit security voids, not only threatening the stability of Somalia but the Horn of Africa Region. For the mission to succeed, it is crucial that all decisions are based exclusively on the security interests of Somalia and the region,” he said in an article published by Horn Review.
The envoy further noted that the ongoing dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia, coupled with Egypt’s growing influence in the area, has added complexity to the struggle against al-Shabab.
“From its inception, AUSSOM faces numerous obstacles, including financial constraints, coordination issues, and the intricate security landscape of Somalia. These factors collectively contribute to the mission’s multifaceted challenges as it begins its operations in the region,” he wrote.
