Somaliland grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea
The government of Somalia has reacted with fierce rejection to an agreement between its breakaway region of Somaliland and Ethiopia on access to the Red Sea for the landlocked East African country. In protest, it recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations on Tuesday. In a speech to the nation, head of government Hamza Abid Barre simultaneously assured the nation that Somalia would defend its territory with "all legally possible means".
The Ethiopian head of government Abiy Ahmed and the president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday which allows Ethiopia to use the port of Berbera on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland had unilaterally declared its independence in 1991, but is still considered part of Somalia under international law.
The agreement came as a complete surprise to Mogadishu. After years of political tensions, the Somali government had only agreed with Somaliland last week to resume negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues.
Somalia sees the agreement as a "clear violation of its sovereignty and unity", explained the government in Mogadishu. It lacked any legal basis and Somalia would "not accept it". The cabinet also announced that it would call on international bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union to stand by Somalia.
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- Despite Somalia's strong opposition, Ethiopia plans to utilize the port of Berbera in Somaliland for its Red Sea access, as per the recent agreement between the two parties.
- The surprise agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia on access to the Red Sea has sparked outrage in Somalia, leading the government to recall its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations.
- In response to Somalia's refusal to accept the agreement on Red Sea access, the Somaliland government may consider seeking support or recognition from neighboring nations like Ethiopia or even international bodies, potentially threatening the fragile diplomatic relations in the region.
Source: www.ntv.de
