Wednesday  jan-10 2024-{HMC} Excellency President Isaias about the situation in Somalia’s war against the terror going on in Somalia where Eritrea is supporting us heavily.

I also came to brief His Excellency about the recent dynamics of the region.
Our region is a very volatile region. I just came to share with him the perspectives of Somalia about the region. So it was information-sharing and briefing to each other that we do frequently.

Well, Eritrea has always been with Somalia and we are very much grateful for that. Eritrea has extensively supported Somalia and the war against al-Shabaab.

And of course, Eritrea has been in support of preserving the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia and that is the international position of Eritrea. And still it is and His Excellency, the President, reiterated the same to me today. We are very much grateful for that as well”.

Wednesday January 10, 2024

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed his sincere appreciation and thanks to the Egyptian leadership for its full support for Somalia.

During meeting with a high-level Egyptian delegation in Mogadishu, Tuesday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh received an official invitation to visit Egypt.

During the meeting, the delegation reiterated President El-Sisi’s unwavering support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, while also emphasizing the paramount importance of respecting these fundamental principles and firmly stating their opposition to any actions that would encroach upon them.

The delegation underscored President El-Sisi’s unwavering commitment to enhancing brotherly relations between Egypt and Somalia across all areas of mutual benefit.

In response, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed his sincere appreciation to the delegation for their timely visit and for conveying President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s invitation, acknowledging the significance of strengthening the historical bonds of ties between the two nations.

Wednesday January 10, 2024

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met Wednesday with HE Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and State Minister at the Federal Republic of Somalia Ali Mohamed Omar, who is currently visiting the country.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed aspects of cooperation between the two countries and the latest developments in Somalia, in addition to several issues of mutual interest.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed support for efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability of Somalia and achieving development and prosperity for its brotherly people.

Wednesday January 10, 2024

The deal granting Ethiopia access to Somaliland’s coastline has raised the ire of Somalia, which considers Somaliland as part of its territory.

The recent agreement struck between Ethiopia and Somaliland continues to reverberate across the region, while Somalia, which claims Somaliland as part of its territory, reaches out to regional countries to mobilize support.

Last week, landlocked Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland reached an agreement that would give Addis Ababa access to the Red Sea through the port of Berbera in exchange for their recognizing Somaliland’s independence.

The deal was widely condemned by Somalia, which deemed it a violation of its territorial integrity. Even within Somaliland, a split within the government has come to the open about the agreement. On Sunday, Somaliland’s defense minister Abdiqani Mohamud Ateye resigned to protest the deal.

“Ethiopia remains our number one enemy,” Ateye said in an interview.

Landlocked Ethiopia, for its part, defended the agreement.

“No party or country will be affected by this memorandum of understanding. There is neither a broken trust nor any laws infringed due to the memorandum of understanding,” the Ethiopian government said in a statement last week.

Background

In 1960, the former British protectorate of Somaliland merged with the former Italian protectorate of Somalia to form the Republic of Somalia. In 1991, Somaliland declared its independence after years of civil war and the fall of Siad Barre’s regime in Somalia.

Although not recognized internationally, Somaliland has a functional government and an elected parliament.

The 177,000-square-kilometer territory lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, a strategic waterway that connects the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea.

Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with a population of more than 123 million, has sought access to the sea ever since losing its Red Sea ports after Eritrea declared independence in 1991. Since then, Ethiopia has relied on a vital trade corridor with neighboring Djibouti, with more than 95% of its imports and exports passing through this main conduit, according to the World Bank.

Ethiopia pays around $1.5 billion annually to Djibouti in port fees, proving costly for the country, one of the poorest in the world, with a per capita gross national income of $1,020, per the World Bank.

Somalia’s reaction

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed on Saturday a law nullifying the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia.

“This law is an illustration of our commitment to safeguard our unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity as per international law,” he said in a post on X.
On Tuesday, Mohamud concluded a two-day visit to Eritrea, where he met with his Eritrean counterpart, Isaias Afwerki, to discuss regional developments.

Speaking to Eritrean state TV after his meeting with Afwerki, Mohamud said that “Eritrea has been in support of preserving the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia.”

One day before embarking on his Eritrean visit, Mohamud hosted an Egyptian delegation dispatched by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the capital of Mogadishu.

During the meeting on Sunday, the delegation reiterated Cairo’s unwavering support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, a statement issued by the Somali presidency said.

The delegation also conveyed an official invitation to Mohamud to visit Egypt.

People stand next to the Independence Monument, depicting a hand holding a map of the country, in the city of Hargeisa, Somaliland, on September 19, 2021. (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP) (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Egyptian-Somali relations have steadily grown since Mohamud’s election in June 2022. Cairo sought Mogadishu’s support in its dispute with Addis Ababa over the latter’s Grand Ethiopian Dam.

At the same time, Egypt has maintained balanced ties with Somaliland, and officials from both parties have exchanged visits in the past years.

What’s next

The controversial deal has raised concerns of its impact on the already volatile region. The US, European Union and African Union have all called on the concerned parties to exercise restraint and resolve their disputes through dialogue.

Just a week after the deal was struck, the military leaders of Ethiopia and Somaliland met in Addis Ababa on Monday to discuss military cooperation, according to a statement by the Ethiopian military on Facebook.