Monday May 27, 2024
Nairobi (HOL) - Former Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad, criticized the Somali government for refusing to
engage in talks with the Ethiopian government regarding Addis Ababa’s so-called
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the breakaway region of Somaliland.
The Ambassador stated that the federal government has
clearly rejected meetings proposed by the governments of Kenya, Djibouti, and
other international countries, which aimed to bring Somalia and Ethiopia to the
table to discuss the agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
"The government of Somalia should not reject these
meetings. It should sit down and diplomatically and clearly tells Ethiopia that
the agreement is a mistake and must be nullified for the two countries to
maintain good neighborly relations," said Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad.
He also added that both Ethiopia and the United Arab
Emirates have violated Somalia's sovereignty.
"The whole world has supported Somalia and opposed
Ethiopia's desires. The federal government has achieved diplomatic success in
that regard, so while this success is clear, it is necessary to engage in
direct meetings," said Ahmed Isse Awad.
Somalia insisted there was no room for mediation in a
dispute with Ethiopia unless Addis Ababa cancelled a controversial maritime
deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland.