The United States says that Al-Shabaab has been recruiting new fighters using the fallout from the agreement recently signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on January 1, 2024.
The ensuing fallout has provided Al-Shabaab with a possible way to resume their activities after more than a year of facing intense operations by the Somali military.
International partners have also joined Somali military in the counterterrorism operations.
Mike Hammer, the US Envoy for the Horn of Africa region, said that there have been clearer indications of Al-Shabaab’s recruitment of new fighters in the last few days.
He spoke during the extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that took place in Kampala on Thursday.
IGAD convened the extraordinary summit to discuss the fallout between Somalia and Ethiopia.