(01 Sep 2024) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) – The ongoing dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the Nile River has ignited tensions within Somalia, triggering protests and political divisions in the South West State.
In the Bakool region, residents of Wajid and Hudur districts demonstrated in support of Ethiopia and against Egypt, raising concerns about the Somali federal government’s ability to maintain neutrality amid the regional power struggle.
This escalation comes at a particularly sensitive time for Somalia, with the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), where Ethiopian troops have played a crucial role, set to be replaced by the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in January 2024. Egypt, following a recent defence pact with Somalia, has pledged 5,000 troops to AUSSOM. Meanwhile, Somalia has reportedly rejected the inclusion of Ethiopian forces in the new mission, a decision linked to the Somaliland Memorandum of Understanding signed in January.
The protests have sparked mixed reactions from Somali parliamentarians, with some criticizing the demonstrations as exploitative of local vulnerabilities and others defending the right to express concerns about potential security threats stemming from the Nile conflict.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has convened a meeting of the National Security Council to address the potential implications of the Ethiopia-Egypt rivalry on Somalia’s stability and security, especially in light of the upcoming AU mission transition.
The outcome of this meeting and the government’s response to the growing tensions are eagerly awaited as Somalia navigates its precarious position in the Horn of Africa amid regional power struggles.
Halqabsi News
