Ethiopia to replace AMISOM in Kismayo

[Rambie]

Somalia: Ethiopian troops deployed in strategic port town

Over 200 Ethiopian troops part of the African Union Peacekeeping in Somalia have been deployed to the strategic Southern Somalia port town of Kismayo, sources confirmed.

The deployment of the 250 Ethiopian forces is seen as the replacement of the departed Sierra Leone peacekeepers once based in the port town.

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Sierra Leone prematurely ended its contribution to AMISOM last year at the height of the Ebola epidemic after the Somali government expressed fear over a possible transmission of the disease.

According to a local official in Kismayo who spoke on the condition of anonymity, an extra 800 Ethiopian troops deployment will take soon.

‘’Their mission will not only be guarding Kismayo but also launch operations against al-Shabaab and push them out of the other cities which they still control in the Lower and Middle Jubba regions.’’

The Ethiopian troops in Somalia have played a major role in driving Al Shabab out of several strongholds since formally joining the peacekeeping mission in January 2014.

Somalia has been racked by constant war for more than 20 years – its last functioning national government was toppled in 1991.