Ethiopia Mulls Joining AU War in Somalia

Kenya Rounds Up Ethnic Somalis

According to the spokesman from Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry, the nation is considering formally joining the African Union force in Somalia, after invading the nation yet again earlier this week.

This is the right time for Ethiopia to consider the request,” said spokesman Dina Mufti, adding that a decision would be announced soon. In addition to the AU force in Mogadishu and the Ethiopian invasion force, Kenya is also invaded in southern Somalia.

Ethiopia had previously been in the role of propping up the self-proclaimed government when it invaded in 2006, as the African Union is now. The previous Ethiopian invasion ended in 2008, with a declaration of “victory” but with the al-Shabaab militant faction, almost non-existent before the invasion, controlling most of the nation.

Kenya’s invasion has mostly stagnated in the far south, and now reports have the Kenyan government arresting ethnic Somalis inside of Kenya as potential “sympathizers,” a reaction to multiple attack in the area. Though they are arrested, they haven’t been charged with anything.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.