Somalia
Mogadishu recalls ambassador from Ethiopia over “null and void” Red Sea port deal
Agence France-Presse in Mogadishu
Somalia has vowed to defend its territory by “any legal means” and recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after Addis Ababa struck a deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Mogadishu called Monday's surprise deal that gave Ethiopia long-sought access to the Red Sea a “clear violation” of its sovereignty and called on the international community to stand by it.
The agreement was announced just days after Somalia's central government agreed to resume dialogue with the separatist northern region after years of stalemate.
Somaliland has sought full statehood since Somalia declared independence in 1991, a move strongly opposed by Mogadishu and not recognized internationally.
The memorandum of understanding signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea port of Berbera and a military base.
“Somaliland is part of Somalia according to the Somali constitution, therefore Somalia considers this move as a clear violation of its sovereignty and unity,” the Somali cabinet said on Tuesday.
The agreement is “null and void without any legal basis and Somalia will not accept it,” it said. “In response, the Somali government has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations.”
The government also said it was calling on the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and the regional East African grouping IGAD, among others, “to work to ensure that Somalia defends its sovereignty and compels Ethiopia to comply with international laws.”
In an address to the country, Somalia's Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre urged people to remain calm.
“I want to assure you that we are committed to the defense of the country and will not allow even an inch of land, sea and sky to be violated,” he said. “We will defend our country by all possible legal means… We must unite and forget our differences to defend our country, our integrity and sovereignty.”
There was no immediate response from the Ethiopian government.
The deal comes months after Abiy said his country, Africa's second-most populous, would assert its right to access the Red Sea, sparking concerns among its neighbors.
Ethiopia was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded and declared independence in 1993 after a three-decade war.
Addis Ababa had maintained access to a port in Eritrea until the two countries went to war in 1998–2000, and since then Ethiopia has conducted most of its trade through Djibouti.
Ethiopia's economy is hurt by a lack of access to the Red Sea, a narrow strip of water between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. On the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, the port of Berbera provides an African base at the gateway to the Red Sea and further north to the Suez Canal.
Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein said Ethiopia would gain access to a leased military base on the Red Sea as part of the deal. It was unclear when the pact would come into force.
Ethiopia acquired a 19% stake in Berbera Port in 2018, according to Dubai-based DP World, which manages port operations.
The company holds 51% while Somaliland holds the remaining 30%.
On Friday, Somalia and Somaliland agreed to resume dialogue after two days of talks brokered by Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, the first of their kind since 2020, when similar negotiations stalled.
The agreement was welcomed by IGAD, which Somalia joined in November, and the British Embassy, which described it as an important step towards reconciliation.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate of 4.5 million people, prints its own currency, issues its own passports and elects its own government.
Although Somaliland was often seen as a beacon of stability in the chaotic Horn of Africa, its quest for statehood went unrecognized internationally, leaving the country poor and isolated.
There were also political tensions there last year that turned into deadly violence.
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