Addis Abeba – The United States and four partner countries have called for the “urgent need to finalize plans” for a new African Union mission in Somalia, as the current African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) approaches its conclusion in December.
On 01 October, representatives from the United States, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the “Somalia Quint,” met in Washington to discuss Somalia’s security challenges, according to the U.S. State Department.
In a joint statement released Thursday, the Quint emphasized the importance of “broad stakeholder input” in planning the new mission, including input from “troop contributors.” The group called for a mission with “feasible and resource-informed goals and tasks” and a “clear exit strategy synchronized with Somalia’s security sector capacity-building.”
The partners also raised concerns over regional tensions, noting the “need to reduce regional tensions through dialogue” and referenced “Turkish-sponsored mediation efforts” initiated after tensions rose following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland on 01 January, 2024.
Amid these rising tensions, Somalia stated that Ethiopia, a major contributor to ATMIS, “will not be part of the AU-led forces” that will operate in Somalia once the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia ends this December.
Escalating tensions further, Egypt sent military officers and heavy equipment to Mogadishu, Somalia, as part of a larger deployment that media reports said could involve up to 10,000 Egyptian soldiers.
In response, Ethiopia expressed concern over the transition from ATMIS, describing the situation as “fraught with dangers” for the region. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the country “cannot stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilize the region.”
More recently, General Michael Langley, Commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), also raised questions about “who is going to be the troop-contributing country” in the new mission structure, given Ethiopia’s current role as a “frontline country” in ATMIS operations. AS
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