Somalia, Eritrea, and Egypt agreed to file the help of al-Shabab to fight Ethiopia.

In recent developments, main media outlets have reported that the presidents of Somalia, Eritrea, and Egypt have agreed to boost cooperation for regional security amid heightened tensions in the Horn of Africa. However, the media omitted the glaring fact of the main target of the meeting that brought them together to evaluate and confirm all current domestic foreign enemies of Ethiopia and bring them together to wage their war. Al-Shebab is the main one considered, and they also discussed the domestic renegade groups, like TPLF, OLA, and FANO. The three leaders expect to cultivate and use these forces to destabilize governments in the horn but not to win any of the wars they participate in. They especially hope the forces continue in a protracted battle that will hinder all developmental projects using the Nile water and soil in East Africa and stop further development of Ethiopia from securing access to the sea. On Thursday, the three-way summit, held in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, was called by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and included his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somalia's Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The three leaders agreed to bolster ties and improve regional stability in the extensive meeting. They also highlighted the importance of "confronting interference in the internal affairs of the region's countries under any pretext or justification, coordinating joint efforts to achieve regional stability and creating a conducive climate for joint and sustainable development. The leaders lightly addressed the security situation in Somalia, whose army is fighting against the al-Shabab armed group. The leaders agreed to deepen cooperation to confront "terrorism in all its forms, protect its land and sea borders, and maintain its territorial integrity.

?Al-Shabaab is the main force destabilizing the Somali government at this stage. Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist insurgent group that fights against the Somali government and the AU-mandated peacekeeping mission.?The group has carried out bombings in densely populated areas across Somalia, neighboring Kenya, and Ethiopia.?Al-Shabaab remains a significant threat to many East African countries.

Eritrea played a significant role in funding and arming Al-Shabab early on at its inception. The government of Eritrea refused to allow the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG) inspectors to visit Eritrea, limiting the scope of its investigations on Eritrea's current government involvement. As a result, Eritrea remains subject to U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions that started in December 2009 due to past evidence of support for al-Shabaab and other activities that have contributed to regional instability.

Recently, Somali officials have asked the United Nations to terminate its political mission in the country, which has been assisting the government in bringing peace and stability in the face of attacks by the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab. In a letter to the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi (A previous Al-Shebab member and sympathizer) said the decision followed "a thorough consideration of our strategic priorities."

Although government officials demand the withdrawal of many of the security measures in Mogadishu, Al-Shabaab has been active in recent months with?attacks on security forces and civilian targets:?August 2024- Al-Shabaab launched two IED attacks against security forces, one near Aawdiinle village in Bay region and the other at a checkpoint in Mogadishu.?May 2024- Al-Shabaab took control of three villages in the Jowhar district, but the SNA and clan militia recaptured them the next day.?Al-Shabaab also regrouped and planned attacks in the Galgaduud and Ceel Dheer districts.?In response, U.S. forces and the SNA conducted airstrikes against al-Shabaab positions, killing at least nine militants.?2024- Mogadishu YSL Hotel attack, an Al-Shabaab member blew himself up outside a hotel in Mogadishu, killing three guards and two security forces.?Six gunmen then stormed the hotel, leading to a gunfight with the army.?August 3, 2024- Al-Shabab claims responsibility for the attack on a beach hotel in Somalia's capital that killed 32. MOGADISHU, Somalia (A.P.) — Police in Somalia said Saturday that?32 people died and 63 others wounded in an attack on a beach hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, the previous evening.

Despite intense activity and expansion of violence by Al-Shebab, the mission's current mandate, known as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), expires on October 31, and Fiqi, the Somalia foreign minister, asked for "the swift conclusion of the necessary procedures for the termination of the mission by the end of the mandate."

The current Somali government is fragile to defend itself without the active input of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). The U.N. mission has worked closely with African Union peacekeepers, whose current transitional mission, ATMIS, has been scaling back its presence and is expected to turn over security responsibilities to Somali forces at the end of the year. In November, the Security Council suspended the A.U. pullout for three months at Somalia's request because of fighting with al-Shabab.?

The hard-to-understand irony is the declaration of President Hassan Sheikh of Somalia. In addressing the perception of Al-Shabaab as an enemy, President Hassan Sheikh asserted that Al-Shabaab was no longer the primary foe of Somalis. He declared, "Two years ago, it is here where I announced that Al-Shabaab was the only enemy, but now I say Ethiopia is the enemy." He said, "Nobody should deceive you by claiming Ethiopia will liberate your land from Al-Shabaab. Do not consider Al-Shabaab as your enemy; there is no other Somali who should be seen as an enemy to fellow Somalis," President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud emphasized, urging unity and encouraging Al-Shabaab as fellow countrymen.

On the other hand, Eritrea, which declared independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a long war, is routinely accused of supporting the separatists Sudan and Ethiopia. Eretria continues to fabricate conflicts seeking to influence events in Somalia, where Ethiopian troops are among African forces fighting Al-Shebab. A UN report stated that Eritrea has failed to comply with Security Council resolutions and remains a destabilizing influence across much of the region. Monitoring Group alleged Eritrea was behind a failed plot to bomb an African Union summit in Ethiopia, had bankrolled known members of al-Shabaab in Kenya, and had been involved in the smuggling of weapons through Sudan and Egypt. Earlier, the U.S. Treasury Department issued sanctions against Colonels Tewolde Habte Negash and Teame Abraham Goitom, two senior Eritrean military officers Washington says have worked closely with al Shabab.

With the help of Eretria, Al-Shabaab has been controlling much of southern Somalia, imposing a strict version of Islamic law in areas under its control. However, UN-backed African troops, Al-Shebab, have been forced out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and other parts of the south by coordinated military operations.

Thanks to the recent agreement of the leaders of Somalia, Eritrea, and Egypt, who gave the green light to Al-Shabab's help to fight ATMIS, Al-Shabab will resurrect and become a decisive force based in Somalia to fight not only Ethiopia but also coordinate its efforts with other terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda. The three leaders discussed the secret strategy of filing Al-Shebab into the central force fighting Ethiopia, which is in progress. However, all three leaders agree that Al-Shebab is no longer the primary enemy and should be war-ready to fight the African Armey in the country, especially the Ethiopian Armey. The recent shipment of arms from Egypt, without solid security, encouraged Al-Shebab to take a free ride for the grab as the new strategy disguising the actual motive of the three leaders.

In the circumstance of the recent developing events, Ethiopia and the African States have the right and obligation to continue defending the freedom won against the atrocities of Al-Shebab and other terrorists targeting the people. Al-Shebab is the resurrected terrorist organization aspiring to make Somalia a base and spread multifaceted terrorist activities around the globe. No leadership on earth should be allowed to normalize its atrocities, and no government should be allowed to provide comfort and shelter to grow, dominating the lives of many young Africans in the region. Fostering a terrorist organization like Al-Shabab is equal to invitations of big guns to the area, and the people of the region deserve peace to build their hard-earned future.

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