Ethiopia: Recruitment of our nationals by terrorist groups, not a concern

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia says it is not worried about the reports of alleged recruitment of its nationals to violent extremism groups particularly Al-Shabaab and ISIS, adding that enough measures have been put in place to control the group.

A spokesperson of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said security measures have been put in place over the years to combat the militants, who are mostly domiciled in Somalia, a country struggling with violent extremism for decades.

“The terrorist organization Al-Shabab poses a serious and ongoing threat to the security and stability of the wider Horn of Africa and East African region,” NebiyuTedla told the Voice of America in an interview.

He credited the country's “proactive surveillance, intelligence gathering, and collaborative efforts with regional partners,” as well as the Ethiopian troops serving in Somalia as part of the African Union mission for playing a role to “mitigate the immediate security risks posed by the terrorist group and its attempts to expand its influence and recruitment efforts across the border.”

“Recognizing this threat, Ethiopia's security apparatus is working diligently to counter and fend off any potential threats from Al-Shabab, not only within Ethiopia's borders but also in the areas of Somalia itself that are under the control of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)- Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF),” Tedla said.

Reports from various organizations have often proved that Al-Shabaab and IS-Somalia have been recruiting militants from Ethiopia. In the past, IS-Somalia has often produced propaganda videos backing the claims.

In the northern state of Puntland, the region has often reported capturing several Ethiopian nations in the Golis mountains during the operations against the militants. The IS Somalia is mostly limited to Puntland state after being pushed out by Al-Shabaab.

IS numbers were previously reported to be 100-400 fighters but an expert argues their numbers have risen this year. Other militants from Morocco, Zanzibar, and other parts of the world have been arrested before.

Brigadier General Abdi Hassan Hussein, the former intelligence and police commander of Puntland claims the foreign fighters with the group alone are estimated to be 500-600 militants, a figure yet to be confirmed by local authorities. The majority of the newcomers are said to be from the Middle East and North Africa.

Ethiopians are also believed to make up a sizeable number within the group. Omar Mohamed Abu Ayan who defected from al-Shabab and now is a commentator said IS has an Ethiopian preacher who translates the group’s Nasheed, vocal religious chants, into Amharic to lure youth.

Tedla says the recruitment of Ethiopian nationals by al-Shabab and IS “is not seen as a major, widespread problem by the Ethiopian government at this time.”

The relevant security and intelligence authorities in Ethiopia are closely monitoring the situation and remain vigilant in their efforts to disrupt any such recruitment attempts targeting Ethiopian citizens, particularly the youth, Tedla told VOA.

“While the threat from Al-Shabab and the possibility of Ethiopian nationals being targeted for recruitment remains a concern, the Ethiopian government's vigilance and the ongoing security operations by its agencies have, thus far, been successful in containing and addressing this challenge,” he said.

Ethiopia is currently embroiled in a tussle with Somalia after the former signed a controversial agreement with Somaliland, a breakaway state of Somalia over access to the Red Sea. The two countries are yet to embrace reconciliation.

GAROWE ONLINE