Somalia’s Parliamentary Speaker, Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur, has questioned the role of Ethiopian peacekeeping forces in the country after militias loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen seized areas where Ethiopian troops had been deployed.
The Somali federal government and South West State authorities have accused Laftagareen’s militias of joining forces with al-Shabaab, the militant group waging an insurgency in Somalia. The allegations have raised further concerns over the security situation in areas affected by the fighting.
Nur also accused Kenya of providing Laftagareen with a place to stay and security protection, despite the federal government having placed him on its blacklist. He called on the government to take action over the matter.
Somali security officials have also accused Ethiopia and Kenya of undermining Somalia’s sovereignty and training militias near their shared borders with Somalia, allegations that underscore persistent tensions between Mogadishu and its neighbors.
“We cannot accept terrorists taking over areas where peacekeeping forces are deployed,” Nur said.
