Somalia asks Ethiopian troops to leave before December 2024

Somali authorities said Ethiopian troops, stationed in the country as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission, should leave the country before December 2024.

The decision came as the mission’s mandate expires in a context of worsening ties between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian forces will not be part of an African Union force that will stay in the country to protect key installations for one year starting January 2025, Somali National Security Adviser Hussein Sheikh-Ali told the media.

Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia deteriorated since Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with the breakaway region of Somaliland, allowing Ethiopia to use a Somali Red Sea port in return for recognition as a state and economic benefits.

Somalia opposed the deal and denounced it as a violation of its sovereignty and an act of aggression by Ethiopia. Kenya offered to mediate in the conflict between the two neighbors.