Somalia has warned its Ethiopian counterpart against continuing to support separatists in the country, calling on the latter to withdraw from the agreement it signed with the Somaliland region earlier this year.
Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said, “If Ethiopia continues its agreement with what he described as Somali separatists, his country will treat it in kind and establish relations with Ethiopian rebels.”
Faqi added, in statements published by the “New Somalia” news website today, Saturday, that “Ethiopia must immediately withdraw from the agreement it concluded with the Somaliland region at the beginning of this year.”
The agreement grants Ethiopia access to a port on the Red Sea by leasing a 20-kilometre coastal strip in exchange for its recognition of the region as an independent state.
The Somali minister continued, “Somalia does not want to destroy Ethiopia, and this is not in the interest of Somalia and the Horn of Africa, but if the intervention continues, it has the opportunity to establish relations with the Ethiopian rebels.”
Faqi accused Ethiopia of “not wanting to use a seaport in Somalia, but rather seeking to take part of Somali territory,” noting that “Addis Ababa received a promise from Djibouti to use a port that is considered the closest to Ethiopian territory, but it did not respond to that promise, which indicates that it wants to take the legacy of future generations from Somalis,” according to his expression.
The Somali Foreign Minister said that Ethiopia had established a naval force with the aim of seizing some Somali territories located within what he called areas of great strategic importance in the world.
Two weeks ago, Ethiopia sent a new ambassador-level delegate to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, for the first time since relations between Addis Ababa and the region began.
Turkey is leading a mediation between Ethiopia and Somalia to resolve the conflict, and a second round of talks between the two parties is scheduled to be held this month.
Last updated: September 14, 2024 – 14:29
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2024-09-14 23:35:29