Ethiopia is planning to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from Somalia as ongoing conflicts in its northern region place pressure on its military, according to Bloomberg, although the Somali government stated that no official notification has been received.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Ethiopian troops could begin withdrawing from Somalia in the coming days or weeks. The sources indicated that the plan has not yet been officially announced. An official from Somalia’s Ministry of Defence stated that Mogadishu has not received any notification from Ethiopia regarding a plan to withdraw troops from the country.
“Ethiopia has not communicated any plan to us regarding the withdrawal of its troops from Somalia. If they inform us of such a move, we will let you know,” the official said.
It remains unclear whether the reported plan applies to Ethiopian troops serving under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), those present under bilateral agreements, or both contingents. Ethiopia maintains a presence of thousands of troops in Somalia; some operate as part of AUSSOM, while others are stationed in regions across southern and central Somalia. Ethiopian forces have long played a role in the fight against Al-Shabaab and in securing areas near the border between the two countries.
The Bloomberg report comes as Ethiopia faces renewed conflict in the country’s northโspecifically in the Tigray regionโwhere federal government forces and Tigrayan forces have clashed once again. These hostilities have reignited following the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which had previously ended a two-year war.
Tensions escalated after the TPLF and other armed groups formed an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmedโs government. Reports from Ethiopia also indicate that fighting has spread to parts of the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions.
If the plan for an Ethiopian withdrawal proceeds, questions arise regarding who will take over the bases and locations vacated by Ethiopian troops, particularly in areas where those forces have long operated.
This development also follows shortly after a meeting in Addis Ababa between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The two sides discussed bilateral relations as well as political and security issues in the Horn of Africa, though there was no official statement indicating that the meeting addressed a plan to withdraw Ethiopian troops from Somalia.
In early September, AUSSOM reported a troop rotation involving Ethiopian forces operating in Sector 4, with new soldiers replacing troops who had served in the mission for three years.
To date, Somalia, the African Union, and Ethiopia have not officially announced any change in the number of Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
