MOGADISHU (SD)-The government of Somalia has officially confirmed today that Ethiopia has been excluded from the list of countries participating in the new African Union (AU) mission that will operate in Somalia starting in early 2025.

The Minister of Defense of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mr. Abdikadir Mohamed Nur, confirmed that Ethiopia has been formally excluded from the African Union operation in Somalia for 2025.

The minister stated that Ethiopia had violated Somalia’s sovereignty, and as a result, Somalia has decided to exclude Ethiopia from the mission. Minister Abdikadir also mentioned that soon the list of countries participating in the new mission would be announced.

This new African Union mission will be a more limited operation, providing technical support to the Somali National Army in countering extremist groups.

The government of Somalia is expected to conclude the ATMIS mission by December, and the Somali National Army will take over the areas previously operated by ATMIS forces.