Ethiopia plans to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from Somalia amid fighting at home

Mogadishu (HOL) — Ethiopia is preparing to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from neighboring Somalia as renewed fighting at home puts pressure on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, Bloomberg reported this week.

The troops could begin leaving Somalia in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the plan who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

A Somali Defense Ministry official told Bloomberg that Mogadishu had received no notification from Addis Ababa.

“Ethiopia has not informed us of any plan to withdraw its troops from Somalia,” the official said.

Ethiopia maintains forces in Somalia under two separate arrangements: as part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and through bilateral security agreements with Mogadishu.

About 2,500 Ethiopian soldiers serve with AUSSOM, while additional Ethiopian troops are deployed separately under bilateral arrangements. Ethiopian forces have operated for years across areas including Bay, Bakool, Gedo and Hiiraan, many of them close to the two countries’ long border.

It was not immediately clear whether the reported withdrawal would affect the AUSSOM contingent, bilateral forces or both.

Ethiopia is one of the countries contributing troops to AUSSOM, alongside other regional partners. The African Union mission supports Somali security forces in operations against al-Shabab and is overseeing a gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces.

The reported plan comes as Ethiopia faces a sharp deterioration in its own security situation.

Fighting has intensified in the northern Tigray region between federal forces and Tigrayan fighters, threatening to unravel a peace agreement signed in Pretoria in November 2022 that ended a two-year civil war. Recent clashes have included artillery fire and military movements around Mekelle and other parts of Tigray.

Tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea have also escalated. Ethiopia this week expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats after accusing Asmara of supporting armed groups in Tigray. Eritrea rejected the accusations and severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia.

The renewed conflict adds to security pressures elsewhere in Ethiopia, including continuing violence involving armed groups in the Amhara region.