Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has accused the Ethiopian government of wanting to claim parts of Somalia’s sea. He warned Ethiopia to adhere to its recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland leader.
President Mohamud addressed several issues facing his government, particularly the diplomatic conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia, while speaking at a mosque in Mogadishu on Friday.
Mohamud accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of taking advantage of Somalia’s current situation and pursuing Ethiopia’s long-standing desire to access the Somali sea.
President Mohamud urged Ethiopia to abandon its ambitions in the Somali sea. He warned that if Ethiopia persists in its efforts, it will face the same fate as its previous ambitions.
In January, Ethiopia signed a sea access agreement with Somaliland. However, Mogadishu rejected the move, labeling it “illegitimate” and considering it a threat to good neighborliness and a violation of its sovereignty.
The agreement allows Ethiopia to lease a 20-kilometer (12-mile) stretch of coastal land in Somaliland, providing the landlocked nation with crucial access to the Red Sea through the port of Berbera.
