Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is determined to address crucial matters concerning regional peace, stability, and progress during his imminent visit to Nairobi.
The East African nation grapples with significant security challenges, chiefly posed by the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab, while tensions with Ethiopia have surged over a port access arrangement involving Somaliland.
According to Villa Somalia, President Mohamud, slated to arrive in Nairobi on Wednesday to participate in the ongoing sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), intends to touch upon “certain unilateral actions that risk aggravating the already deteriorating situation.”
Despite being an unofficial visit, Mohamud’s trip closely follows Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s State Visit.
Since January, Mogadishu and Addis Ababa have been embroiled in discord after Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PM Abiy’s government, granting Ethiopia access to the Red Sea via Somaliland’s Berbera port for 50 years.
The agreement, inked between Abiy and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi in Addis Ababa, permits Ethiopia to establish a naval base and utilize Somaliland’s coastline for military and commercial purposes.
In return, Ethiopia committed to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
This development marked Ethiopia as the first nation to extend formal recognition to Somaliland. Furthermore, Addis Ababa pledged a portion of the state-owned Ethiopian Airlines to Hargeisa.
However, Somalia vehemently opposed the decision, viewing Somaliland as an integral part of its territory, and denounced the deal as “illegitimate” and “an act of aggression.” Mogadishu asserted that the agreement infringed upon its sovereignty, leading to the recall of its ambassador to Addis in protest.
Despite calls from the African Union and other international stakeholders for an amicable resolution, Ethiopia has pursued discussions with other partners concerning the agreement.
On Tuesday, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jemal Beker met with Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, discussing maritime cooperation and briefing him on the MoU with Somaliland.
Ambassador Beker emphasized fostering regional integration and cooperation across various domains during the meeting.
Meanwhile, Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed foreign and international missions in Hargeisa on the progress of the Somaliland-Ethiopia MoU deal and recent incidents involving the killings of Somalilanders in Somalia.
Additionally, Somaliland raised objections to the ten-year defense pact between Turkey and Somalia, aimed at bolstering Somalia’s naval capabilities and coastal defense.
