Friday 27, Dec 2024 {HMC} President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia held extensive discussions at the State House in Asmara, Eritrea, on Wednesday, focusing on the consolidation of bilateral ties and addressing regional and international issues of mutual concern.

A statement from the Eritrean Foreign Ministry said the two leaders underlined the importance of Somalia’s stability for the entire Horn of Africa region.

“Securing and [guaranteeing] Somalia’s stability is pivotal for enduring regional peace and stability. In this respect, the two leaders discussed, in greater depth, salient agendas that promote achievement of the desired objective,” the statement said.

Leaders meet for summit

In October, the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia met for a three-way summit in Asmara against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the Horn of Africa region between Somalia and Ethiopia.

The October meeting, in which the leaders aligned to sign an agreement covering defense, security, and diplomatic and political cooperation, followed concerns about security and stability that resulted from a controversial deal Ethiopia signed in January with the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland. That deal, if enacted, would give Ethiopia long-sought access to the Red Sea.

Somali diplomats, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter, told VOA that the two leaders also discussed on Dec. 11 an Ethiopia-Somalia agreement in Ankara that aimed at ending diplomatic tensions between the neighboring countries. They said they have an agreement in principle but are working on technicalities.

According to the Eritrean Foreign Ministry, during their talks on Wednesday, Isaias said that it was necessary for the region to overcome external interventions that often exacerbate conflicts, stressing that local challenges must be addressed internally.

“President Isaias elaborated on the imperative for the region to extricate itself from external interventions that often advance agendas of incubating and fomenting conflict and chaos in the region. In the event, it is critical for the region to address and resolve its own challenges.”

In a subsequent statement to the Eritrean Press, Somali’s president expressed his appreciation for Eritrea’s contributions in the ongoing efforts for training Somalia’s National Army and security institutions.

“The support of Eritrea to Somalia is vital for the stability of Somalia as well as the Horn of Africa region. Somalia can learn from Eritrea’s vast experiences in the efforts to foster viable and robust partnerships,” Mohamud said.

Leaders reaffirm objectives

The two leaders in a statement reaffirmed the objectives laid out in the October Tripartite Summit agreement between Eritrea, Somalia and Egypt, aimed at enhancing cooperation and promoting stability in the region.

The discussions come against the backdrop of Egypt’s commitment to contribute troops to the African Union Somalia peacekeeping mission, highlighting the growing collaboration between Somalia and Egypt amid regional tensions, particularly concerning Ethiopia’s plans to get sea access in Somaliland.

Eritrea has been training thousands of Somalia forces for at least four years. Most of the military has received regular and specialized training, including the naval force, as well as mechanized units.

Mohamud’s visit was the eighth since his reelection in May 2022 and the fourth this year.

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Friday 27, Dec 2024 {HMC} The Federal High Court, Dire Dawa branch, Jigjiga Criminal Court Rotating Bench sentenced 81 people accused of engaging in “terrorist activities as members of the Al-Shabaab group” to up to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, state media reported.

The Ministry of Justice’s Organized and Trans-Border Crime Dire Dawa regional branch prosecutor presented the evidence against the 81 accused Al-Shabaab members under the file name of Muktar Abdi who were facing criminal and terrorism charges on provisions of the Ethiopian Federal Criminal Code of 2004 under Articles 32(1)(a) and (b), 35, Article 3(2); and the Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism Crimes Proclamation No.1176/2020, respectively.

They were charged and convicted for “leading and participating in terrorist activities.”

Additionally, under Article 30(1) of the Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism Crimes Proclamation, the accused were also charged for their “association with Al-Shabaab”, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, with their membership and involvement dating back to 2022.

Although the news does not mention if the 81 who were convicted today at the regional branch court have an association with Al-Shabaab’s July 2022 attack inside Ethiopian territory, part of the timeline matched when the militants attacked two villages near the border with Ethiopia, “killing 17 people including three civilians and Ethiopian police officers inside Somali territory while 63 of its fighters were killed.”

Part of the charges said the accused had participated in Al-Shabaab’s operations since 2019, “receiving training, engaging in jihadist warfare, and executing missions aligned with the group’s religious and political goals.” They were also involved in destabilizing the public, attacking government entities, and undermining the state in operations spanning several local areas in Afder and Shebelle zones in the Somali Regional State.

The attack, the first major attack inside Ethiopia by the militant group, was quelled after reinforcement members of the national defense forces were sent on 25 July to join the Somali region security forces. Prior to that the Somali region security council said that more than 100 members of the group were were killed in the three-day operation, and “13 vehicles were burnt and the weapons and supplies they brought with them were confiscated.”

During the sentencing today, federal prosecution detailed their offenses and actions that included “carrying out attacks with the intent to instill fear,” and presented evidence during the trials that included “57 eyewitness testimonies and 396 pages of documentary evidence.”

The defendants reportedly lacked the means to appoint private legal counsel, prompting the court to assign public defenders. However, following a review of the evidence, the court found the defendants guilty of the charges, with some confessing to their “involvement in the outlined terrorist activities, leading to their convictions.”

Accordingly, the court has sentenced 18 of the accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each. The remaining defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 18 years based on their level of involvement.

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Friday 27, Dec 2024 {HMC} The US military said Thursday it had killed two members of the extremist al-Shabaab group in southern Somalia in an airstrike.

The strike took place on Tuesday about 10 kilometers (six miles) southwest of the town of Quyno Barrow, south of Mogadishu, the United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) said in a statement.

The strike was conducted “in coordination” with Somalia’s federal government, it said.

“The command will continue to assess the results of the operation and provide additional information as appropriate,” the statement said, providing no further details.

The Somalian government issued a statement lauding a “meticulously planned operation” that was conducted alongside “international partners” in the same district.

That statement said the operation “has successfully eliminated the terrorist ring leader Mohamed Mire Jama, also known as Abu Abdirahman, in the Kunyo-Barow district of Lower Shabelle province.”

Somalia is one of the poorest countries on the planet, enduring decades of civil war, a bloody insurgency by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, and frequent climate disasters.

Washington has invested massively for several decades in the fight against the insurgency.

During his first term, US President-elect Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Somalia, a decision reversed by his successor Joe Biden.

Earlier this week, Egypt said it was joining a new African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.

The mandate of the current African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) ends on December 31, and it will make way for a new force against the al-Shabaab insurgents, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

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Friday 27, Dec 2024 {HMC} Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the Republic of Azerbaijan Fathudin Ali Mohamed has visited the Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) of SOCAR.

During the visit, potential opportunities for establishing bilateral academic cooperation in the field of education between BHOS and the Federal Republic of Somalia were discussed.

At the meeting, an exchange of views took place on the issue of attracting students from Somalia to study at BHOS in the 2025/2026 academic year. The recently created Heydar Aliyev grant for international students was also mentioned as an important step expanding these opportunities.

Following the meeting, it was decided to inform the relevant responsible structures of both countries about the results of the visit and establish mutually beneficial partnership in the field of education.

Mr. Fathudin Ali Mohamed called for the completion of the process of selection of students from Somalia by April 2025.

The meeting concluded with a campus tour.

SOURCE BANM