WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE CAN DO MOREFederal authorities’ dismantling of regional paramilitaries has created an opportunity for al-Shabaab to strengthen its presence in Somali region. It should be recalled that Ethiopian forces repelled an al-Shabaab incursion in July 2022 after the group targeted some border towns in Somali region. Moreover, the Ethiopian military is already thinly dispersed and may be ineffective in remote and arid locations such as Somalia. The long-standing distrust between the Ethiopian military and the Somali people may play into the hands of al-Shabaab. A two-tiered security approach composed of a strong national army and federal police alongside robust and well-armed regional forces is preferable to the one Abiy envisions.

Source: Ethiopian News June 23, 2023 17:20 UTC