Ethiopia insisted on Wednesday that its controversial deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland broke no laws after Somalia accused its neighbor of a blatant attack on its sovereignty.
The deal, signed in Addis Ababa on Monday, has raised concerns about the stability of the troubled Horn of Africa region.
Hundreds of people took part in a demonstration in Mogadishu to denounce the pact that has long given Ethiopia, one of the world’s largest landlocked countries, access to the Red Sea.
Addis Ababa defended the deal, saying other countries had made deals with Somaliland in the past, but the Arab League and Egypt said they supported Somalia’s stance.
The East African regional group IGAD expressed its “deep concern” at the developments, while the European Union insisted that Somalia’s sovereignty must be respected.
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Mogadishu has vowed to defend its territory “by all legal means” and called for urgent meetings of the UN Security Council and the African Union to discuss Ethiopia’s “aggression”.
“Our sea is not for sale”
The extensive memorandum of understanding gives Ethiopia access to commercial maritime services and a military base, with Somaliland leasing 20 kilometers (12 miles) of coastline to it for 50 years.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate of about 4.5 million people, declared independence from Somalia in 1991, a move not recognized internationally and fiercely opposed by Mogadishu.
But in reality, Somalia’s fragile central government exercises little authority over the affairs of the region, which has its own constitution, government, security forces and currency.
While Somaliland remains largely stable, Somalia has experienced decades of civil war and a bloody Islamist insurgency by the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.
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In a stadium in Mogadishu, hundreds of people, mostly students, took part in a demonstration, waving banners saying “Our sea is not for sale and we will not allow an inch of our land to be lost.”
“These people feel that their unity has been violated,” Mogadishu Mayor Yusuf Hussein Jimalehe told the rally. “They feel that part of their land is about to be plundered and they have gathered here to reject this aggressive ambition.”
Protesters chanted slogans against Somaliland President Moussa Bihi Abdi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who signed the deal.
Ethiopia and Somalia have a history of stormy relations and territorial disputes, with two wars in the late 20th century.
“No Broken Trust”
Somaliland’s Bihi had said in a statement that in exchange for sea access, Ethiopia would “formally recognize” Somaliland.
But the Ethiopian government has not confirmed this claim.
It said in a statement that the agreement “includes provisions for the Ethiopian government to conduct an in-depth assessment in order to take a position on Somaliland’s efforts to gain recognition.”
Somalia vows to defend sovereignty after Ethiopia-Somaliland deal
However, he said that despite the fact that Somaliland does not have full recognition, it has nevertheless signed agreements with various countries, including the development of ports.
“However, there was no murmur or complaint when this was implemented,” he added.
“No party or country will be affected by this Memorandum. There is no broken trust and no broken laws.”
The agreement was signed days after Somalia and Somaliland agreed to resume dialogue after decades of deadlock.
It also follows Abiy’s comments last year that Africa’s second most populous nation would assert its right to access the Red Sea, sparking concerns among its neighbours.
Ethiopia was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded and gained independence in 1993 after three decades of war.
Addis Ababa had retained access to an Eritrean port until the two countries went to war in 1998-2000, and since then Ethiopia has channeled most of its trade through Djibouti.
Ethiopia and Somaliland have agreed to a deal on port access
Ethiopia’s economy has been constrained by a lack of sea access, and the port of Berbera in Somaliland offers a gateway to the Red Sea and further north to the Suez Canal.
IGAD expressed “deep concern” over the development of relations between Somalia and Ethiopia and urged the two neighbors to “work together for a peaceful and amicable resolution of the situation”.
However, the Somali government criticized IGAD’s response, saying it “does not condemn the Ethiopian government for violating Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry, which is at loggerheads with Ethiopia over the country’s Blue Nile dam project, expressed its “opposition to any measure aimed at undermining Somali sovereignty” and warned against actions that undermine stability in the Horn of Africa.
Source: AFP