The Somali government last October ordered the Ethiopian government to withdraw from the controversial agreement with Somaliland.
Somalia’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh Ali, told The New Humanitarian newspaper that the Ethiopian troops’ presence in Somalia depends on their withdrawal from the Somaliland maritime agreement as soon as possible. He added that Ethiopia has until October.
“We have tried to give them as much time as possible, but I think it is now getting closer to the Ethiopian troops leaving our country.
Hussein Sheikh Ali said the presence of Ethiopian troops has a negative effect on the Somali people, who he said feel that Ethiopia is aggressive and destroying its land.
However, Ethiopia has 3,000 soldiers in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission (ATMIS) fighting Al-Shabaab.
The operation in which the Ethiopian forces are part ends in December 2024, and it is expected to be replaced by a new operation in January 2025 with the participation of a small number of troops.
