Ethiopians in Somalia living illegally have been told to return to their country. Some experts are linking this development to the wider Ethiopia Somalia tension.
Abdi Qadir, the mayor of Garowe city, told illegally living Ethiopians to leave. He announced that strict actions would be taken against those who do not follow these directions.
Garowe city is situated in Puntland. Puntland-Mogadishu are not on good terms these days. Puntland, a federal member state of Somalia, in April, announced to operate independently after the parliament of Somalia approved amendments to constitution, which were opposed by Puntland.
Mogadishu ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates in Garowe and Hargeisa in April. Federal government of Somalia took this decision to stop the MoU signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland in January this year. Both the consulates are still open.
Though Garowe and Mogadishu are not good terms, Garowe-Addis Ababa relations are friendly. The directions passed by Garowe mayor do not seem to be linked to the broader tension between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Ethiopia-Somalia border is porous. Residents of border areas move across freely in several areas. Garowe mayor’s decision to expel Ethiopians living without documents could have consequences for citizens of Somalia who illegally cross into Ethiopia. Thousands of Somali fled Somalia into Ethiopia in recent years due to conflict and climate change related disasters.
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