Somali Minister of Defense Abdukhadir Mohamed Noor has reaffirmed that Ethiopia cannot take an inch of Somali territory, describing Addis Ababa’s MoU with the Somaliland region as a daydream.
Responding to the recent statement by Ethiopia’s cabinet members about the MoU, Minister Noor emphasized that the ministers are spreading misinformation, which will not harm the Somali government.
“Misleading messages on social media from Ethiopia’s ministers are a nightmare. Ethiopia knows that it cannot take an inch of Somali territory. When someone dreams while awake, the outcome is predictable,” said Somalia’s Defense Minister Abdukhadir Mohamed Noor.
Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Industry, Tarekegn Bululta, recently stated that he is confident Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland. “I am confident that Ethiopia will be the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent country,” he said.
On 1 January 2024, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi. Reportedly, this MoU stated that Somaliland would lease 19 kilometres (12 mi) of its Red Sea coastline to Ethiopia around the port city of Berbera. This agreement follows recent tensions surrounding Prime Minister Ahmed’s stated desire for Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea. In return, the MoU reportedly includes a provision stating Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent state in the future, which would make it the first UN member state to do so.
This move was seen by Somalia as a violation of its sovereignty.
The Cabinet of Somalia held an emergency meeting on 2 January following the announcement of the MoU. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed his firm opposition to the agreement, saying Somaliland is part of Somalia under its constitution and the deal was conducted without legal basis with disdaining the rule of the UN, AU, and IGAD.
He also added “Somaliland, you are the northern regions of Somalia and Ethiopia has no recognition for you. If Ethiopia claimed it gave you recognition, then it is not a recognition that exists.”
Peoplesmind