Ethiopian Forces Detain Soldiers Amid FGS-Jubaland Dispute Over Election

DOLOW, Somalia - Six alleged Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers have been detained by the Ethiopian Forces at Dolow airport within the Gedo region, multiple sources have confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the six soldiers were captured after arrival from Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The soldiers were in civilian attires, witnesses said. The reason behind their arrest remains unclear.

Local sources suggest this move aligns with claims that the Somali government is attempting to hinder the upcoming indirect elections in Kismayo, the interim capital of Jubaland. The incident was reported in Dolow airport within Jubaland state.

Incidentally, the Jubaland authorities had tightened security at the Kismayo Airport last week, following claims that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud intended to dispatch elite forces to the state to 'frustrate' elections.

Jubaland had vowed to go on with indirect elections against the will of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who wants all federal states to implement a universal suffrage model of elections next year. But Ahmed Madobe, the leader of Jubaland, says the move could sabotage term limits by triggering illegal extensions.

Already, Jubaland has started the process of picking lawmakers who will subsequently elect the regional president. Ethiopia has lately shifted its support to Jubaland after years of frosty relationship after falling out with Mogadishu.

Somalia recently said Ethiopian troops will leave the country by December 2024 after Addis Ababa signed a controversial sea access agreement with Somaliland in January 2024. Over 4,500 Ethiopian troops serving in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) are stationed in different parts of the country where they are involved in the fight against Al-Shabaab. An additional 1000 non-ATMIS troops are also in the country.

Somalia has contested the continued presence of Ethiopian troops in the peacekeeping mission, instead vouching for Egypt as the lead of the upcoming AU stabilization and support force [AUSSOM] after the August defence deal between Cairo and Mogadishu.

GAROWE ONLINE