Demonstrations are held in Somalia to oppose Egyptian soldiers
Somalia's move to invite Egyptian troops into its territory has sparked a rift between the central government in Mogadishu and its federal states, in what could damage the country's focus on security needs.
Somalia's move to invite Egyptian troops into its territory has sparked a rift between the central government in Mogadishu and its federal states, in what could damage the country's focus on security needs.
Hundreds of people in Waajid, the second largest town in the Bakol region of Somalia's South West State (SWS) recently marched through the streets, carrying placards with inscriptions such as 'doonimayno Masar' (we don't want Egypt) and 'soo dhowoow Ethiopia ( near Ethiopia).
The protests disrupted transport between Baidoa, the capital of the Southwest, and Mogadishu as authorities tried to quell the unusual protests.
As a result, the Prime Minister of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre flew to Baidoa with top aides including the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Abdullahi Mohamed Ali aka Sanbaloolshe.
According to Somalia's plan, the current African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is expected to reduce its troops by December 31 this year.
ATMIS is expected to be replaced by another AU peacekeeping force called the African Union Support and Strengthening Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), where according to the decision taken by the Somali government, Ethiopian forces will no longer be allowed to remain in the country, starting on 1 January 2025.
Instead, Egyptian troops, expected to reach 5,000 will participate in AUSSOM with another 5,000 arriving through a security agreement between Somalia and Egypt.
Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia soured earlier this year after landlocked Ethiopia signed an agreement to lease 20km of Somaliland's coastline - a part of Somalia that has declared independence and has been self-governing since 1991, but has failed to receive international recognition.
The Somali government strongly opposed the 50-year agreement and has decided to ask for Egyptian military assistance to deal with the Ethiopian threat.
