(18-09-23) MOGADISHU — The Ethiopian government has strongly rejected claims by militant group Al-Shabaab concerning a skirmish in Somalia’s Bakool region that unfolded on Sunday. Al-Shabaab had issued a statement, alleging to have killed 167 Ethiopian soldiers and destroyed military vehicles.
Two convoys of the Ethiopian army were the target of Al-Shabaab’s attack; one travelling from Yed to Wajid and another from El-Barde to Hudur. Ethiopian forces hold strategic positions in both Hudur and Wajid.
Ethiopia’s ambassador to Somalia, Mukhtar Mohamed Ware, denounced these claims as “propaganda” in an interview with VOA. “They can try [to attack the Ethiopian army] but they cannot fire at the Ethiopian defence forces even for 10 minutes,” Ware stated.
The ambassador further dismissed Al-Shabaab’s characterization of Ethiopian troops as “Crusaders,” clarifying that Ethiopian forces are in Somalia under the directives of the African Union and the international community. “We are there to support the legitimate government of Somalia in its efforts to restore peace,” Ware added.
Ethiopia has contributed thousands of troops to Somalia through the ATMIS mission and bilateral agreements with the government in Mogadishu. According to security sources, the soldiers involved in the recent incident were not part of the ATMIS mission. “The ambush happened; the incident was severe, but Al-Shabaab’s numbers are exaggerated,” a security source informed VOA.
The situation remains under scrutiny by the international community, as Ethiopia continues to collaborate with Somali forces to quell the long-running Al-Shabaab insurgency.
