Friday 20 Sep 2024 {HMC}  The administration of the Hiiraan region in Hirshabelle state has warned the Ethiopian government about actions that threaten Somalia’s sovereignty along the Hiiraan-Ethiopia border.

In a statement released on Friday, the Hiiraan administration reaffirmed that Somalia’s borders are the responsibility of the Federal Government, represented by Hirshabelle, a member state of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

The Hiiraan administration stated that it would not tolerate any violation of the country’s territorial integrity, condemning efforts to form mercenary groups associated with al-Shabab terrorism in the region.

They urged security forces to strengthen border protection and called on residents to remain vigilant against what they termed as “enemy acts” aimed at undermining Somalia’s sovereignty.

Diplomatic tension between Ethiopia and Somalia has escalated following a controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier this year between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometres (12 miles) of its coast for 50 years to Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port. Somaliland has said Ethiopia would give it formal recognition in return, although Addis Ababa has never confirmed this.

Somalia considers the MoU a breach of its territorial integrity, with the Somali government rejecting the deal and accusing Ethiopia of undermining its sovereignty.

SOURCE 

Friday 20 Sep 2024 {HMC} The U.S. is returning Special Forces troops to Chad after leaving at the country’s request nearly five months ago.

“We have reached an agreement on the return of a limited number of Special Forces personnel,” Maj. General Kenneth Ekman, who oversaw the recent U.S. withdrawal from Niger at the request of U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. Michael Langley, told VOA in an exclusive interview Thursday.

“It was a presidential decision by [Chadian] President [Mahamat] Deby, but the decision is made, and now we’re working through the specifics on how we return,” he added.

In April, the U.S. pulled out some 70 Special Forces personnel from Chad ahead of the nation’s presidential election. Deby won that election and ultimately decided to allow U.S. forces to return, a decision that was only recently relayed to U.S. Africa Command.

Ekman told VOA the U.S. military plans a smaller operation than the headquarters that forces previously maintained in Chad, whose 11,000-member counterterror force is fighting a growing number of Boko Haram and Islamic State militants around Lake Chad.

“The direction of approach from Chad is immensely important,” Ekman said, especially following the U.S. military withdrawal from Niger that officially ended on Sunday with his departure from Niamey. “If our presence in Niger allowed us to go inside out, relative to the Sahelian-based VEO [violent extremist organization] threat, we now have to revert to going outside in.”

The head of U.S. Africa Command, General Michael Langley, has said his forces are starting to “reset and recalibrate” in the region.

Before coups in Niger, the U.S. had hundreds of forces in two bases that served as major counterterrorism hubs. Burkina Faso and Mali also hosted U.S. Special Forces teams prior to coups in their countries that strained their relationship with the United States and ultimately cut off U.S. military access to prime locations from which to monitor terror groups and train local partners.

Under U.S. law the coups prevent AFRICOM from direct military-to-military cooperation.

Now, countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Chad will determine the U.S. counterterror strategy and force strength in West Africa.

“Each partner has their own unique security concerns. They also have their own respective tolerance and willingness to abide the presence of U.S. forces,” Ekman said.

Ghana and Nigeria have made it clear to the U.S. that they are not interested in hosting U.S. forces, according to Ekman.

But as the violent militant threat spreads primarily southwest from the Sahel, some West African nations along the coast are asking for more U.S. capabilities. Even before the coup in Niger, the U.S. started refurbishing an airfield in Benin to accommodate U.S. military aircraft.

After the coup in Niger, the U.S. moved Special Forces into Ivory Coast as well, Ekman told VOA. Any decision to establish a larger military presence like the one the U.S. built up in Niger will ultimately be a policy decision.

“I don’t think you’re going to see another Air Base 201,” said a senior U.S. military official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, referring to the $100 million drone base that the U.S. built in the Nigerien desert.

Instead, the U.S. will likely try to work from within partner force garrisons through strengthening base fortifications and capabilities, but the U.S. has not made this type of agreement with any West African partners since the withdrawal from Niger.

“We’re not there yet,” Ekman said.

Diminished access

Since U.S. counterterror operations were halted in Niger, Ekman cautions that the region has become “more opaque” as U.S. partnerships and access have “diminished.” It is more difficult to monitor the terror threat in West Africa, which hurts the U.S. ability to counter it.

Officials admit the U.S. is now “soul searching,” its confidence shaken from broken partnerships and regional approaches that have failed to tamp down the terrorists.

The U.S military has been tasked with “treating the symptom: terrorism,” the senior military official said, acknowledging that diplomatic and economic approaches are what is needed to counter terrorism’s root causes on the continent.

The U.S. military’s withdrawal appears to be a net loss for Niger, the United States and other regional partners who had benefited from U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities available through its bases in Niger.

Since the July 2023 coup, extremist attacks have become more lethal as Niger has lost resources and partners.

“They’re absolutely feeling [those losses],” the senior military official said.

Ekman said he believes that the U.S. and Niger’s shared security objectives will continue to link the two nations even without American forces on the ground.

“How we will pursue [those objectives], either together or apart, as a consequence of the withdrawal remains to be seen, but we wanted to make sure we kept all options on the table,” he said.

SOURCE VOA