Somalia expels Ethiopian troops as the port agreement with Somaliland will not be cancelled
Somalia will expel thousands of Ethiopian soldiers stationed in the country to support security by the end of this year if Addis Ababa does not cancel the disputed port agreement with the self-declared independent region of Somaliland.
Somalia's national security adviser Hussein Sheikh-Ali told Reuters by phone: "If they don't cancel (the agreement) before the end of June, all Ethiopian troops will have to leave."
Security experts and foreign diplomats have said that the move risks further destabilizing Somalia as local forces will not be able to fill the security gap, which may be used by al Shabaab terrorists, who are allies of al Qaeda.
About 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers have been deployed to the Horn of Africa country as part of the African Union peacekeeping force (ATMIS) fighting al Shabaab terrorists, who hold most of Somalia.
Relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa broke down earlier this year after landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometers of Somaliland's coastline - a part of Somalia that has declared independence and has been self-governing since 1991, but has failed to be recognized internationally.
The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), has been mandated by the United Nations. The duration of the presence of the African Union troops is expected to be extended by December this year.
