Mereja.Forum

[Hazega/Tsazega.]

How much have Ethiopian governments collected from this cash cow in over a decade??

3,000 current soldiers, which could mean there were many more previously (even double), in its 12+ years of occupation of Somali territory.

3,000 troops x $1,000 (per soldier monthly UN wage) x 12 (months/1-year) = 36,000,000 usd each year x 10 years = 360,000,000 usd (closer to half a Billion)

Just a rough guess since there could have been more Ethiopian troops during various years and depending on how many years past decade they were there and this doesn't factor in additional yearly incurred/unexpected operational costs which could have been additional millions per year...plus millions more in free military training & equipment...plus food, clothing, housing. Who knows how much the administrators/financiers of this cash cow also pocketed??

Ethiopia could have used 1years income from this cash cow to avert its 36,000,000 DEFAULT TO FINANCIAL CREDITORS just recently. Yet the Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed openly boasts having billions that he is directing to the building of a grand palace that will last 500years and urban superficial development while Ethiopia is "willingly" dependent on food aid (for tens of millions) and financial loans from the west (IMF/Worldbank)

The IMF/Worldbank just recently bailed out their favorite slave/servant Ethiopia...and as soon as the check cleared, Ethiopia immediately went back to its slave/servant task of pushing for hostility/wars in the HoA region on behalf of its slave masters (paymasters).

Somalia Expelled Ethiopian Occupying Troops and Invited Egyptian Peace Keeping Forces

There are at least 3,000 Ethiopian troops in Somalia under the current AU mission, according to the Reuters news agency.

Somalia has announced that Ethiopian troops would not be part of the AU force from next January. Ethiopia sees this as a slap in the face.

The plan is for up to 5,000 Egyptian soldiers to join a new-look African Union force at the end of the year, with another 5,000 reportedly to be deployed separately. Egypt sees its military deal with Somalia as “historic” - in the words of Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

Djibouti

Strains between Ethiopia and Djibouti, partly due to Ethiopian complaints about Djibouti’s port fees and excessive red tape, may factor into Abiy’s calculus.

Over the last two decades, successive Ethiopian administrations have stressed that the country is over-reliant on neighbouring Djibouti’s port, which handles the bulk of Ethiopian trade. But, before the January memorandum, the closest Ethiopia got to port ownership was a 2017 agreement with Somaliland under which Addis Ababa was to take a 19 per cent share in Berbera. The deal fell through, reportedly because Ethiopia failed to make timely payments.

[Hazega/Tsazega.]

Here is some background regarding Ethiopian troops in Somalia:

- The question about Ethiopian troop presence in Somalia always divided opinions.

- The intervention of Ethiopia in 2006 was controversial; it divided Somalia’s parliament with some MPs opposing troops from bordering countries, and others supporting it. MPs who were against Ethiopia troop deployment eventually sided with the then Eritrea -based ARS alliance after the ICU was toppled by the ENDF and troops from the transitional Govt of Somalia.

- It’s widely believed by security experts that al-Shabaab recruited massively during the ENDF presence from 2006. The current president @HassanSMohamud most recently was quoted as saying that Meles Zenawi’s intervention in Somalia “produced the rise of al-Shabaab.”
Note - There were even reports that Ethiopia (ENDF) were selling/delivering arms to Al-Shabab to prolong the wars & to continue revenue flow from UN for their "peace keeping" troops. Ethiopia was/is collecting minimum $1,000 monthly per each soldier for its thousands of soldiers for over 12 years. (Minimum $36‐50 million a year x 12 years = $432-600 million).

- ENDF withdrew Somalia in Jan 2009 following deadly guerrilla war by Muqamawa and Al-Shabaab alliance. Then the UN-brokered deal brought ARS leader @HESharifShAhmed to become president and Ethiopian troops left as demanded by ARS.

- The Govt of @HESharifAhmed forced Al-Shabaab to leave Mogadishu in August 2011 with support from Ugandan and Burundian forces.

- The Ethiopian troops re-entered Somalia in Jan 2012, and became part of the AU mission. Currently ENDF are stationed in Southwest West and Gedo, as well as three camps in Hiran region.

-Ethiopia has troops operating in Somalia that are not part of the AU mission. Some experts are questioning the effectiveness of the current ENDF forces in light of the gruelling conflicts that have been taking place within Ethiopia in recent years.

- Since August 2022, Somali govt forces and local fighters recaptured large areas from al-Shabaab. On few occasions, Somali forces received artillery support from Djiboutian and Ethiopian troops in Hiran region.

- Troops from front line countries (Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti) were expected to participate in the 2nd phase of the operation against al-Shabaab. That appears unlikely to happen now given the current tension over the Jan 1 MoU.

- Finally, all AU troops including ENDF are to leave Somalia in less than 10 months. There are ongoing conversations between Somalia and partners to have multinational forces replace the AU forces until the end of 2025. Will the Somali government request ENDF to be part of that multinational force?

Ethiopian leaders duplicity in boasting in one breath...on one hand claiming they selflessly sacrificed for Somalia but while also saying Ethiopia's interest takes priority over Somalia. Next breath saying Somalia government won't last without their help but refusing to leave when Somalia asks them to. ‍♂️