The federal government of Somalia and the African Union have agreed on the number of troop-contributing countries for a new AU mission following weeks of differences between Ethiopia and Somalia, and later on between Somalia and Burundi over the number of troops coming from each country.
An AU official, who requested anonymity because he does not have authorization to speak with media, told VOA that Burundian forces who have been in Somalia since 2007 will be leaving the country after the two governments disagreed on the number of troops coming from Burundi.
The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, is expected to have 11,900 personnel operating on the ground in Somalia, including soldiers, police and civilian support staff, according to Somali and AU officials.
The new arrangement allocates 4,500 soldiers to Uganda, 2,500 to Ethiopia, 1,520 to Djibouti, 1,410 to Kenya and 1,091 to Egypt, according to the official.
A second AU diplomat who requested anonymity for the same reasons told VOA that the negotiations about Burundian soldiers in Somalia are still ongoing.
“The departure of Burundi would have significant political and financial repercussions for the AU,” the second diplomat said.
“In addition, there is still a major issue of funding for AUSSOM that has not been resolved. Burundi sacrificed a lot, and they deserve to have their concerns addressed,” he added.
There will also be several hundred police personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Egypt, to be based in Mogadishu, Jowhar, and Baidoa.
The completion of the troop-contributing countries was delayed by diplomatic tension between Somalia and landlocked Ethiopia over the latter’s controversial sea access deal with Somaliland on Jan. 1, 2024. Mogadishu protested the deal as a “violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Somaliland is a breakaway region of Somalia.
The tensions eased after the two sides reached a breakthrough agreement on Dec. 11 in Ankara with the mediation of Turkey, where they pledged to end their differences.
This week, Somalia and Ethiopia signed an agreement that secured the participation of Ethiopian troops in the new African Union mission in Somalia.
The agreement followed a visit to Mogadishu over the weekend by an Ethiopian delegation led by military chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, accompanied by Ethiopian intelligence chief Redwan Hussien, where they met with their Somali counterparts, General Odawa Yusuf Rage and Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbalolshe. State media in Somalia and Ethiopia both confirmed the visit.
Somalia’s National News Agency, or SONNA, said the talks focused on counterterrorism, regional stability and the role of Ethiopian forces in AUSSOM.
“The chiefs underscored the role of ENDF (Ethiopian National Defense Force) in African Union peace support operations and agreed on the Force disposition of ENDF in the African Union Support and Stabilization mission in Somalia (AUSSOM),” said a communique published by SONNA.
Ethiopian troops will be deployed to the same Somali regions where they were stationed over the years — Gedo, Bay, Bakool and Hiran regions. The only new troops joining the mission will come from Egypt, which supported Somalia in Mogadishu’s dispute with Ethiopia.
Ethiopia also maintains troops outside the AU mission based on a bilateral agreement. This week’s deal between Ethiopian and Somali officials extends that arrangement.
“At bilateral level, the Chiefs agreed to develop a Status of Force Agreement a (SOFA) for all the bilateral forces that will operate in Somalia,” Sunday’s communique read.
The first AU contingent from Uganda was deployed in Somalia in March 2007 at a time when al-Shabab was gaining a foothold in the country.
The U.S.-designated terrorist group remains a threat to the international community-backed government. On Tuesday, al-Shabab launched multiple front attacks in central Somalia, entering small towns and villages before government forces repelled them.
In the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, security forces are continuing their almost two months long offensive against Islamic State militants, taking one town after the other.
Local security officials say they are confident of capturing the largest main base of the group within days.
This story originated in VOA’s Africa Division.
