Thursday January 18, 2024
FILE - Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Misganu Arega. CREDIT/ Ethiopia MFA
Mogadishu (HOL) - Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Misganu Arega, has vehemently opposed the Arab League's recent demand for Ethiopia to annul its agreement with Somaliland. This pact, signed in Addis Ababa, grants Ethiopia a 50-year lease on a 20-kilometre stretch of Somaliland's coastline and aims to establish an Ethiopian naval base and commercial port in the Gulf of Aden.
The Arab League, under Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit's leadership, has condemned this accord as a "clear violation of international law" and an infringement on Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement issued during an emergency meeting convened at Somalia's behest, the League emphasized the agreement's threat to regional stability and maritime security in the Red Sea.
In a defiant response, Minister Arga criticized the Arab League's stance as an unwarranted interference in Ethiopia's internal affairs, undermining its sovereignty. This sentiment was echoed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signalling Ethiopia's determination to proceed with the agreement despite growing international criticism.
Ethiopia has come under intense criticism abroad for the contentious MoU, with condemnations pouring in from many countries and inter-governmental organizations.
Ethiopia's statement comes after skipping an extraordinary session of IGAD Heads of State in Kampala, Uganda, that Djibouti's President called to discuss the regional tensions created by signing the maritime agreement.
Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre also raised objections at the Arab League meeting, urging Arab nations to collectively oppose Ethiopia's maneuvers. Egypt, which harbours its own disputes with Ethiopia, notably over water rights, expressed solidarity with Somalia, viewing Ethiopia's unilateral actions as a disregard for the interests of other nations in the region.
The agreement, signed on January 1st by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, is seen as a significant geopolitical shift. Landlocked Ethiopia, seeking maritime access since Eritrea's independence in 1993, views this deal as crucial to its national interest. On the other hand, Somaliland, a self-declared independent region unrecognized by the international community, sees this as an opportunity to bolster its sovereignty claim.