Somali president warns Ethiopia-Somaliland sea deal to revive al-Shabaab terrorist group

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday warned that the sea access deal between Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland could revive the al-Shabaab terrorist group with dangerous regional ramifications.

Addressing an emergency meeting held by Somalia’s bicameral parliament in the capital Mogadishu, Mohamud said the deal will give the terror group a chance to revive itself by recruiting new people.

He said the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group had emerged from Ethiopia’s invasion into Somalia in 2006.

Mohamud said his government strongly regrets the agreement signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland to access the Red Sea, which he called a violation of Somalia's sovereignty.

He said that the deal had no legal basis and should not be enforced, adding that Somalia and Ethiopia have only one option – to live in peace.

Earlier on Tuesday, Somalia rejected Ethiopia's Red Sea port deal with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, calling the deal a threat to good neighborliness and a violation of its sovereignty.

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.

The 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.

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.”

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.