Feb 23 (Jowhar)A statement was issued at a meeting in Mogadishu by the Commanders of the Ethiopian National Army, Berhanu Jula, accompanied by the Director of Ethiopian Intelligence, Redwan Hussein, the Commander of the Somali National Army, Gen. Odawaa Yusuf Raage, and the Director of NISA, Abdullahi Sanbaloolshe.
The commanders exchanged views on the security situation in Somalia and the region, noting the importance of maintaining peace, security, and stability in the Horn of Africa and the African continent as a whole. They particularly noted the efforts made by the countries that contributed troops and police to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM/ATMIS) and the Somali Security Forces, who have sacrificed their lives since 2007 to stabilize the country and fight the Al-Shabaab group.
They welcomed the launch of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), noting the importance of building on the past successes of ATMIS. They stressed the role of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) in African Union peacekeeping operations and the configuration of the ENDF forces that will operate under AUSSOM.
The Commanders stressed the importance of fully supporting ongoing efforts to eradicate Al-Shabaab, expressing their commitment to jointly combat terrorism.
Both sides agreed that the Federal Government of Somalia should be the sole gateway for formal relations between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia, while respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and solidarity of the Somali people.
The international community was called upon to support the capacity building of the Somali National Army, to facilitate the withdrawal of AUSSOM and enable Somalia to fully assume responsibility for its own security.
Finally, at the level of bilateral relations, the commanders agreed to establish a Status of Force Agreement (SOFA) covering all bilateral forces operating in Somalia, with the signing of the SOFA agreement being part of the Security Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December 2023.
