MOGADISHU— Somalia’s foreign ministry summoned Ethiopia’s ambassador Saturday over comments he made about Egyptian troops arriving to Somalia.
Ambassador Suleiman Dedefo was called to explain remarks made during a local TV interview, which Somalia viewed as internal interference, officials said.
The ministry told Dedefo his statements were unacceptable and warned him to respect diplomatic boundaries and avoid stoking tensions between both countries.
Somalia and Ethiopia previously clashed over maritime boundaries and Somali officials stressed avoiding any new crisis with their regional neighbor Ethiopia.
In his recent interview, Dedefo claimed Egyptian troops would destabilize Somalia and were not being deployed to promote peace.
He said Ethiopia was not concerned by the troop deployment, stating Ethiopia is prepared and capable of defending itself at any time.
“We are not afraid or feeling threatened. We are fully capable of defending ourselves,” Dedefo told Universal TV in the televised interview.
His remarks came as Egypt completed training of its first military unit to join the African Union’s new AUSSOM mission inside Somalia.
The Egyptian forces received advanced training in peacekeeping, international cooperation, and operating in complex conflict environments like Somalia’s current security situation.
The program was organized by Egypt’s Ministry of Defense and CCCPA, with technical and financial support from the government of Japan.
The new AUSSOM mission includes troops from multiple African countries who will support Somali government forces in stabilizing areas reclaimed from Al-Shabab.
