Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/3/ethiopia-arrests-15-people-over-uae-embassy-attack-plot
The state-run media of Ethiopia announced that 15 people were arrested over a plot to attack the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) shared a statement last Wednesday from the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) that the suspects were likely inspired by foreign direction. The UAE has not yet released a comment about the halted attack.
The EPA described the foreign influence group as terrorists prepared to harm property and take human lives. The suspects were described as a “group that took the mission from a foreign terrorist group” by the EPA. Guns, explosives, and a variety of weapons were confiscated from the suspects. Ahmed Ismael, the head of a terrorist group, has been arrested in Sweden in relation to the planned attack on the embassy.
The EPA also noted that there was a second group of suspects planning to attack the UAE’s diplomatic mission in Sudan. Ethiopian and Sudanese personnel have been working together to unravel the specifics of the coordinated attack.
The UAE has played an important role in negotiating peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The two neighboring countries were at war with each other from 1998 to 2000. A lasting peace was only established in 2018 during a bilateral meeting, after Abyi Ahmed became Ethiopia’s Prime Minister.
The UAE has also given financial aid to Ethiopia, in attempts to stimulate its economy. It’s possible that some Ethiopian citizens resent the UAE’s recent involvement, and planned to attack the UAE embassy to showcase their discontent and gain recognition for their cause.
The UAE has growing influence in the region, mostly due to its geopolitical factors. The country is rich in oil, which gives it power in the middle east. The UAE has involved itself in the horn of Africa so that its oil exporter competitors, for example Iran and Qatar, cannot.