Egypt expressed its full respect for the unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia over its entire territory and its opposition to any actions that would undermine Somali sovereignty. It stressed that Somalia and its people have the exclusive right to benefit from their resources.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Cairo understood the danger of the increasing official activities, measures, and statements by countries in the region and beyond, which threatened the stability of the Horn of Africa region and heightened tensions among its countries.
On Monday, Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland, which is not internationally recognised, under which Ethiopia would get a sea gateway that would enable it to build a port and a military base in exchange for recognising Somaliland as an independent state.
The official Ethiopian News Agency published the statement on its Facebook page, and the leader of the Somaliland administration also announced the agreement in a video broadcast on the state’s official television.
The Ethiopian statement, which described the agreement as a “historic memorandum of understanding,” said that the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, emphasised that this agreement would enhance political, diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia.
Ahmed said that Ethiopia had not used the sea gate for years and that this understanding represented a breakthrough in Ethiopia’s history. He added that this memorandum reflected Ethiopia’s desire to work with its neighbours for mutual benefit and congratulated all Ethiopians on this “historic achievement.”
The leader of the Somaliland administration, Musa Bihi Abdi, said in a recorded speech during the memorandum signing session with Abiy Ahmed: “It gives me great pleasure to sign today with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the memorandum of understanding for marine access in exchange for recognition.”
Bihi Abdi added: “Every leader seeks to achieve the interests of their citizens, and through this memorandum, we will lease a seaport to Ethiopia, which it has long sought to obtain, in exchange for the recognition that we have been seeking for years.”
Bihi Abdi indicated that under this memorandum, Ethiopia would get the first seaport in the Red Sea, and Ethiopia would also be the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent state.
According to the memorandum, the seaport that Ethiopia would get is about 20 km long from the coast of the port of Berbera, allowing it to build a port and a military base for its naval forces.
The Somali government denounced the memorandum of understanding as a “flagrant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty.” It said in a statement after its meeting that what the two parties (Ethiopia and Somaliland) initiated in the memorandum of understanding breached the rules of international law, calling the step a “blatant infringement on Somali sovereignty.”
The statement added that Somaliland was “just a region of Somalia that did not have legal legitimacy to sign such agreements,” urging Ethiopia to respect good neighbourliness and cooperation. The statement said that Somalia “relied on the strength of its people and was responsible for defending its sovereignty, people, and land, and would take all measures to achieve this.”
The Somali Parliament, comprising the House of the People and the Senate, unanimously voted to annul the agreement signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland, deeming it illegal.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud regarded the agreement as a futile attempt and a deviation from reality. He urged the Ethiopian government to pursue diplomatic ways to serve its people’s interests. He warned that the agreement could trigger the rise of the “terrorist movement,” as it might halt the joint efforts against “Al-Shabaab,” enabling it to restore its influence and recruit new fighters.
Egypt emphasised the need to adhere to the objectives of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which include safeguarding the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of member states, and the principles of the union, which require respecting the existing borders upon attaining independence and refraining from meddling in the internal affairs of another state.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi also reaffirmed, in a phone call with the Somali President on Tuesday, Egypt’s steadfast stance to stand by Somalia and support its security and stability.
The European Union also insisted on respecting Somalia’s sovereignty. The EU said in a statement that it “would like to reiterate the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia under its constitution, the Charters of the African Union and the United Nations.”
“This is essential for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region,” the statement from an EU spokesperson said.
