The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through an official statement, revealed to diligently monitor the situation and recognizes the possible implications for regional stability.
Under the circumstances, Gebeyehu urged the leaders of the African regional body to take control and called on the two brotherly countries to collaborate towards a peaceful and amicable resolution of the situation, upholding the shared values that unite the IGAD family.
Last Monday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the president of the semi-autonomous Somaliland region, Muse Bihe Abdi, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) paving the way for Ethiopia’s aspirations for an outlet to the sea.
According to official sources, the initialed document grants Addis Ababa 20 kilometers of access to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea for a period of 50 years, in addition to allowing diversified access to seaports and strengthening the security, economic and political partnership.
In return, Ethiopia must formally recognize Somaliland, which self-proclaimed its independence from Somalia in 1991, without the United Nations recognizing the region as a nation state to date.
However, it is not yet confirmed whether Addis Ababa will recognize Somaliland. The National Security Advisor to the Ethiopian head of government, Redwan Hussien, stressed on his social media account X that the MoU is a step forward in the right direction.
The agreement was initialed after Somalia and Somaliland agreed last week to resume negotiations to resolve outstanding issues after years of political tension and stalemate.
“Somaliland is part of Somalia according to the Somali constitution, therefore Somalia considers this move a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and unity,” the Mogadishu government reacted in a statement the day before. In response, it recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said they are determined to defend the country and will not allow the violation of “even an inch of land, sea and sky”.
Somalia called on the UN, the African Union, the Arab League and IGAD, among others, to defend its right to protect its sovereignty and force Addis Ababa to adhere to international laws.
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