Ethiopian foreign minister Taye Atskeselassie says Somalia must cease hosting foreign forces that would threaten the peace, security in his country.
Briefing journalists on Friday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa Atskeselassie blamed some officials in Somalia’s government for aggravating an already tense situation between the two countries and aiming at destabilising the horn of Africa region.
The minister’s remark is a glib reference to Egypt’s deployment of two military jets ahead of deploying 10,000 troops in Somalia as part of transition from the African Union Transition Mission in the strife-torn country.
Atskeselassie said the deployment of different forces within a new peace support mission in Somalia should not pose a security threat to its neighbours.
“As foreign minister, I don’t think we will be squeezed by forces from different directions because I am confident in the capability of my country,” Atskeselassie said.
He said Ethiopia expresses its desire to settle any disagreement with Somalia peacefully, stressing, however, that teaming up with forces opposed to peace is a short-sighted strategy and counterproductive.
Atskeselassie stated that Ethiopia chose not to retaliate in kind when recently attacked by certain Somali government officials and hostile forces seeking to exploit opportunities to destabilise the region.
The foreign affairs minister stressed that their hostile rhetoric and threats will not discourage Ethiopia from its commitment to peace in the region.
Atskeselassie added that countries in the horn must redouble efforts to stop those trying to undo hard-won gains against terrorism in the region.
“These efforts have made progress and are promising to yield results. These efforts must not be undermined by provocative statements. Collusion with forces hostile to peace in this region is also short-sighted and counterproductive,” he pointed out.
The authorities in Mogadishu have made it clear Ethiopian troops would not be part of a new peacekeeping operation after ATMIS winds down later this year.
Somali president Shiekh Hassan Mohamud was in Cairo recently to garner support from his counterpart Abdel Fattal El-Sisi over a dispute with Ethiopia triggered by a controversial port access deal with breakaway Somaliland in January.
Mohamud recently called off the third round of talks brokered by Turkey to settle the disupte with Ethiopia.
Somalia regards the Somaliland port deal as a move that undermines its territorial sovereignty and integrity and has since enlisted help from its neighbours most notably Egypt which has been in a protracted feud with Ethiopia over a dam being built on the River Nile.
Cairo holds that the dam would compromise its natural share of water from Africa’s longest river, a claim Ethiopia has variously dismissed as inaccurate and alarmist.
Both Egypt and Ethiopia have not ruled out going to war to guard against any negation of their conflicting interests over the Nile.
MG/as/APA