Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, the Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations (Photo: UN)Addis Abeba – During the United Nations Security Council briefing on 24 June, 2024, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, the Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, accused Ethiopian troops of unlawfully crossings into Somalia’s borders. On 31 May, Hussein Sheikh Ali, the National Security Adviser to the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said Somalia expects all Ethiopian troops to leave the country by the end of December 2024, adding that Ethiopian troops will not be part of the post-ATMIS forces. At least 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers are stationed in Somalia as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which combats al-Shabaab, an Islamist militia that controls large portions of the country. A large number of non-ATMIS Ethiopian troops have been reportedly deployed to several parts of the country for years. According to Swan, 5,000 ATMIS troops have left Somalia since June 2023, and further reductions are planned in the coming weeks.

Source: Ethiopian News June 25, 2024 13:27 UTC