By Mohamed Dhaysane
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – Thousands of people took to the streets in the capital Mogadishu on Wednesday to protest against the sea access deal between Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland.
The protesters gathered at the Eng. Yariisow Soccer Stadium in Mogadishu after marching through different streets.
Senior government officials, including Interior Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, members of Somalia’s both houses of parliament, and the mayor of Mogadishu Yusuf Hussein Jimaale attended the rally and condemned the sea access deal.
The protesters were carrying placards reading “Somali belong to Somalia” and “our seas are not for sale.”
A memorandum of understanding was signed between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday, giving Ethiopia access to Red Sea ports.
Abiy’s office hailed the pact as “historic,” saying it is “intended to serve as a framework for the multisectoral partnership between the two sides.”
Addressing the protesters, Fiqi vowed that Somalia will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, accusing Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of engaging in a regional conflict and division.
“For him to sign this agreement and say he will recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state is like saying there is no Somalia and we will not accept that,” Fiqi said.
On Tuesday, Somalia rejected Ethiopia's Red Sea port deal with Somaliland, calling the deal a threat to good neighborliness and a violation of its sovereignty.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday night called his Egyptian counterpart in the wake of the tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over the deal.
The Egyptian president assured his Somali counterpart that Egypt would stand by Somalia and provide support for its security and stability.
Somalia also recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after the Somali Cabinet held an emergency meeting in the capital presided over by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.
Somaliland is a former British protectorate in northwestern Somalia that declared independence in 1991 but has received no international recognition.
Ethiopia lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted from 1961 to 1991.
In 1991, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia, leading to the establishment of two separate nations. The separation resulted in Ethiopia losing direct access to the Red Sea and key ports.
Ethiopia has since been landlocked, affecting its ability to conduct efficient maritime trade.
Ethiopia and Egypt have been engaged in a lukewarm relationship for years over Ethiopia’s Nile Dam project.
Last month, Egypt declared a dead end in Renaissance Dam negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan and vowed to defend its water and national security if they are violated.