Somalia has officially barred Ethiopia from joining the African Union’s new peacekeeping mission, citing violations of its sovereignty. The decision, announced by Somalia’s Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur during a televised interview Saturday, intensifies a diplomatic rift between the two nations.
“I can say that Ethiopia is the only government we know of so far that will not participate in the new AU mission because it has violated our sovereignty and national unity,” Nur stated.
The controversy stems from an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared independent region, which Somalia considers an integral part of its territory.
The new peacekeeping mission, African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), will replace the current African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) on January 1, 2025. For the past 17 years, African Union forces have played a pivotal role in combating al-Shabab militants and stabilizing the country under AMISOM and later ATMIS.
AUSSOM’s mandate aims to continue the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali National Forces. The mission will deploy at least 12,000 troops and is set to run until the end of 2028, according to a United Nations report.
This is not the first time Somalia has opposed Ethiopian involvement in its peacekeeping efforts. The exclusion reflects ongoing tensions over territorial and sovereignty issues in the Horn of Africa.
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