Friday February 16, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) - The leader of the Wadajir political party and a member of parliament, Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's decision to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, describing it as a mistake on Thursday.
President Mohamud had announced that a Somali government delegation he led would travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the coming days to attend three major conferences, including the 37th African Union (AU) Summit, IGAD, and the East Africa Community Leaders meeting.
However, the lawmaker argued that the government should have reduced its relations with Ethiopia if it was not deemed necessary, and the status of the delegation sent to the AU conference should have been minimized.
"I was unaware of any agreement between us and Addis Ababa. We know that they have violated the unity and territorial integrity of the country. The president should explain what motivates him to attend a meeting in Addis Ababa," said Abdirahman Abdishakur.
He further criticized the Somali parliament for failing to question the president about his trip, stating that they are preoccupied with amending the country's constitution.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently reiterated that Somalia would not engage in mediation talks with Ethiopia until Addis Ababa retracts from the illegal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland on January 1.
The MoU, which grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea port of Berbera, has raised significant concerns regarding regional stability and security. Somalia has strongly opposed this agreement, declaring it null and void, and has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia.