Saturday September 21, 2024
FILE - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (left) and South West State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen (right).
Baidoa (HOL) — The Somali Federal Government and South West State have reached a preliminary agreement to ease tensions over the deployment of Ethiopian troops after days of escalating conflict that risked further destabilizing the region. Both sides have agreed to cease inflammatory rhetoric and will continue discussions during the National Consultative Council meeting in Mogadishu later this month.
Officials led by General Mahad Abdirahman Adan, Commander of the Somali Correctional Forces, travelled to Baidoa to lead the mediation efforts, engaging in two days of negotiations with South West State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen in Baidoa. These talks successfully resolved key sticking points, with both parties pledging to work towards long-term solutions.
General Mahad and his delegation engaged in lengthy meetings with South West State President Laftagareen over the past two days in Baidoa. These discussions reportedly resulted in a mutual understanding.
President Laftagareen has agreed to attend the National Consultative Council meeting set for September 25 in Mogadishu. While in the capital, he is expected to hold further discussions with Federal Government leaders, according to trusted sources.
Earlier this month, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre visited Baidoa, where he met with Laftagareen to discuss issues, including the planned withdrawal of Ethiopian troops by the end of 2024.
Flights between Mogadishu and Baidoa were temporarily halted on Tuesday morning, although the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) denied any official disruptions to daily flights.
The conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia has deepened in recent months, driven by Ethiopia's controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland. This agreement, which allows Ethiopia access to Somaliland's Red Sea coastline, has been condemned by the Somali Federal Government as a violation of its sovereignty. As a result, the Somali government plans to exclude Ethiopian troops from the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), scheduled to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in 2025.
Protests erupted in South West State's Bakool region earlier this month, where local officials and residents voiced support for Ethiopian forces. However, lawmakers within South West State remain divided. Some support the Ethiopian presence, while others align with the Federal Government's plan to replace them with Egyptian forces. The growing influence of Egypt in Somalia, which recently signed a defence pact with the Somali government, has become another point of contention.
Both South West and Jubbaland states have openly opposed the Federal Government's plan to withdraw Ethiopian troops by the end of 2024, expressing concerns about a potential security vacuum. Ethiopian forces are currently stationed in key locations across South West State, including the Bakool and Gedo regions.
Somalia's Defence Minister, Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor, has warned against aligning with Ethiopia, referencing the country's historical role as an adversary in Somali territory.
Security analysts have warned that Somalia's involvement in the growing Egypt-Ethiopia rivalry, especially over the Nile River and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), could further escalate regional tensions.