In light of the current preparations to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) with a new peacekeeping force, Ethiopia has urged the UN and the African Union (AU) to guarantee thorough consultations with relevant parties.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson, Nebiyu Tedla, said during a weekly press briefing that “the AU and the UN should ensure necessary consultations with all stakeholders, including the current troop-contributing countries to ATMIS.”
In keeping with pertinent Security Council decisions, he underlined the significance of “careful deployment to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding and unexpected regional tensions.”
The call is made in advance of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which is set to launch operations on January 1, 2025.
The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) stated in a communiqué dated August 1, 2024, that the precise dimensions, parameters, and length of AUSSOM are still being worked out.
Nebiyu emphasized the significance of “considering the views and concerns of current troop-contributing countries to ensure an effective transition to the post-ATMISmission,” highlighting Ethiopia’s roles as a neighbor, troop donor, and major participant in regional security.
As part of AUSSOM, Egypt will send troops to Somalia for the first time, following other regional contributors like Uganda, which has been present in the nation since 2007. This information was also disclosed in the PSC communiqué.
With the recent departure from the Abdalla Birolle Forward Operating Base and its transfer to the Somali National Armed Forces, the ATMIS transition is still in progress.
As required by the UN Security Council resolution of 2024, this was the fourth transfer of this kind during the Phase Three withdrawal of ATMIS forces.
Ethiopian troops “will not be part of the AU-led forces” that will be in operation in Somalia when the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia concludes in December of this year, according to a previous statement from Somalia.