Somalia

Egypt will not allow any threat to Somalia, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday after Ethiopia said it would consider recognising an independence claim by Somaliland in a deal that would give it access to a sea port. The remarks were the strongest yet made on the issue by Egypt, which already has frosty relations with Ethiopia, and were a sign that Cairo may get involved in a dispute that has raised fresh tensions in the volatile Horn of Africa.

Somalia said on Thursday there was no room for mediation in a dispute with Ethiopia unless Addis Ababa cancelled a controversial maritime deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

The African Union's conflict resolution body met on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia over a coastline deal and called for "restraint" between the parties.

A UN helicopter crash-landed in an area controlled by armed Islamists in Somalia after its main rotor blade was hit by an object, a UN source has said.

Last year saw the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) conduct more than 200 operations against al-Shabaab in furtherance of a mission priority to “degrade” the Somalia-based Sunni Islamist military and political organisation, which is also active elsewhere in East Africa. ATMIS Force Commander Lieutenant General Sam Okiding said this would continue in 2024 along with ongoing efforts to improve the capability of the Somali Security Forces (SSF).

The African Union on Thursday joined the United States in appealing for calm in the Horn of Africa after regional tensions soared following a contested deal between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland have agreed to resume dialogue to resolve outstanding issues, after long-running political tensions and years of deadlock.

The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia on Sunday resumed handing over security responsibilities to Somali government forces after a three-month pause, officials said. … The first phase of the AU drawdown was concluded in June when 2,000 troops left Somalia. In September, the Somali government requested a 90-day “technical pause” of the drawdown … .

Somalia and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have vowed to intensify military operations to flush out al-Shabab militants following the lifting of a 31-year-old United Nations arms embargo on the country.

Recognizing the benchmarks reached on implementing the security transition, the Somalia Transition Plan and the national security architecture, the Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution lifting the arms embargo on the Federal Government of Somalia.