Somalia Demands Ethiopia to Withdraw Troops by Year-End: Regional Tensions Rise

Somalia expects all Ethiopian troops to leave its territory by the end of December 2024, according to National Security Advisor Hussein Maalim. Ethiopian troops will not participate in the African Union-led missions planned for the country after the ATMIS mission concludes this December. Somalia is holding discussions with international partners to set up a multinational force that will operate in Somalia starting in January 2025 for a duration of one year.

The planned post-ATMIS forces will include contributions from Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, and Burundi while Ethiopian troops will be fully withdrawn by December. Presently, Ethiopia has troops under ATMIS as well as additional forces stationed in Somalia outside of the ATMIS structure.