The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia has strongly condemned the attack by Ethiopian forces on the Somali National Army.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the ministry stated that Ethiopian forces launched an attack in the city of Jubaland known as Doolow. The statement indicated that the attack occurred at approximately 10:00 AM on Monday, describing it as unprovoked and unexpected.

“This was a premeditated and deliberate attack targeted three key bases of the Somali National Army, the National Intelligence and Security Agency, and the Somali Police Force,” the statement declared.

According to the foreign ministry, the attack resulted in casualties among Somali forces and injuries to local residents. However, the exact number of fatalities and injuries was not disclosed.

The statement further highlighted that the attack occurred during a time when the Somali government was working to enhance the peace process based on the Ankara agreement. Additionally, a high-ranking envoy was in Addis Ababa at the time of the attack.

Jubaland, a semi-autonomous region within the Federal Government of Somalia, has been involved in conflict in recent weeks. Jubbaland State Minister of Security, Yusuf Hussein Osman, during a press conference in Doolow, stated that “the incident occurred after Somalia National forces were instructed to shoot down a plane carrying a delegation from Jubaland province,” according to a report by AFP.

A delegation led by Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ali Omar, made its way to Addis Ababa for an official visit on Monday, December 23, 2024.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia, in a statement on its official page, highlighted that the delegation’s purpose in Addis Ababa was to “reinforce the commitments made in the Ankara Agreement.” In contrast, it strongly criticized the alleged attack by Ethiopian forces as “a violation of the Ankara Agreement, African Union laws, United Nations laws, and the neighborly relations between the two countries.”

In response to the attack, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia made it clear that “it will not remain silent about such attacks and will uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Furthermore, the Egyptian Foreign Minister announced that Egyptian soldiers would be part of the African Union Peace Mission delegation sent to Somalia, as reported by Reuters. “Following a request from the government of Somalia, Egypt has decided to contribute to the peacekeeping mission,” Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatty stated in a press conference, as per a Reuters report.

It is anticipated that the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSOM) peacekeeping force will be deployed in Somalia in the upcoming year of 2025.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian government has made no official statement regarding the alleged attack in the Doolow province or the high-level Somali delegation traveled to Addis Ababa.