The Ethiopian government announced on Friday that it will cooperate with the new AUSSOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia, which was recently approved by the United Nations Security Council.
Somalia has previously said that the Ethiopian forces will not participate in this operation due to the relationship between the two countries, after the Addis Ababa government signed a maritime agreement with Somaliland.
Ethiopia’s Defense Minister Asha Mohamed paid a high-level visit to Somalia yesterday, meeting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and delivering a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
“The talks reaffirmed the commitment of the two countries to work together to ensure peace and stability in Somalia and the region,” said a press release from the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The two countries agreed to cooperate in the AUSSOM mission and strengthen bilateral relations.
This announcement ends almost a year of the Somali government’s refusal to allow Ethiopian troops to participate in the new AUSSOM mission.
Somalia has already said that from the first of January 2025, there will be no Ethiopian soldiers in Somalia.
