Ethiopia is preparing to withdraw more than 3,000 soldiers from Somalia within days or weeks to reinforce its war against Tigrayan and other rebels, Bloomberg reported on 1 October. Somalia’s defence ministry said it had not been told of any such plan. Ethiopian units serve in the Bay, Bakool, Gedo and Hiiraan regions, under the African Union mission and bilateral deals, and have helped defend Baidoa; Ethiopia made a similar pullout when the first Tigray war began in November 2020. A withdrawal would open gaps in areas where al-Shabaab remains active, while the Somali army also fights regional forces around Baidoa. Watch whether other African Union contributors fill them.