BELEDWEYNE, Somalia – The Ethiopian troops in Somalia started military maneuvers in the central region of Hiran amid a rift between the two countries over a maritime MoU.
The residents in Halgan, a small town in Hiran reported that Ethiopian troops began to pull out from a key military base where Al-Shabaab has attacked several times in the past.
The situation was tense on Thursday morning with fears that Al-Shabaab militants could easily capture the town if the Ethiopian soldiers left without handing over the base to SNA.
There was no reason given to the public about the ENDF exit from Halgan. This sent a shock of wave through the residents who are prone to Al-Shabaab attacks currently.
The ENDF recently vacated a basecamp in Kismayo, a port city in the Lower Juba region, which serves as the interim capital of the Jubaland state of Somalia.
The AU forces in Somalia are making a gradual withdrawal from the country as their mandate is set to expire by December 2024, according to the Somali Transition Plan STP.
