MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Ethiopian troops have begun collecting taxes from residents in Somalia’s Gedo region, Shabelle TV reported on Wednesday, months after Somali government accused Addis Ababa of violating its sovereignty.
Ethiopia has tens of thousands of troops stationed in southern Somalia. While some of them operate under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), there are thousands more manning bases in Bay, Bakol, Hiran and Gedo regions.
It has not yet been clear who authorized the Ethiopian forces to collect taxes from the local population in Gedo region and there have been no comments from Somali federal authorities.
Ethiopian troops have long been implicated in atrocities against civilians in Somalia and have played roles in political wrangling between Somali leaders.
The new development comes amid standoff between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa over the latter’s move to lease a parcel of land along the Red Sea from the break-away northern region of Somaliland.
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