MOGADISHU [SMN] – In a discreet visit, the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces, General Berhanu Jula, and the Head of the Ethiopian Intelligence Service, Ridwan Hussein, arrived in Mogadishu yesterday to engage in high-level discussions with the Somali government.
The focus of their meeting was the continued presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia and their role in the upcoming AUSSOM mission.
The visit of the two senior officials from Ethiopia’s military and intelligence sectors comes at a crucial time following the recent resolution of tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia stemming from a maritime agreement made by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with the Somaliland administration in January 2024.
The Somali government is expected to involve Ethiopia in the new AUSSOM operation, with Egypt playing a key role in the mission.
This was confirmed after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held discussions with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during their recent meeting in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia, concerned about the potential military influence Egypt could exert over Somalia, views the presence of Egyptian forces in Somalia as a threat to its national security.
The two nations share a tense relationship over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute and its impact on Nile water access, further heightening Ethiopia’s security concerns in the region.
