Somaliland defense minister resigns over sea access deal with Ethiopia

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – The defense minister of Somaliland, a breakaway Somali region, announced his resignation on Sunday, citing the Red Sea access deal with Ethiopia.

Abdiqani Mohamud Aateeye, who announced his quit in an interview with local Horyaal TV, said he opposed the “unlawful deal” that Somaliland and Ethiopia signed on Monday in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

“Ethiopia does not only want the sea and the port, it is taking our land,” said Aateeye, alleging that Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi did not consult with his ministers about the deal on the port and naval base in the Red Sea with Ethiopia.

“Our people will not accept their land to be taken easily. I’m telling Abiy that our sea is not that easy,” he said, referring to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who signed the deal with Abdi.

Aateeye’s resignation came as Somaliland witnessed a huge protest against the port deal on Sunday in the city of Borama, the provincial capital of Awdal region, where Aateeye is from.

On Saturday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a law that nullifies the sea access deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Somalia already declared the deal “illegitimate” and called for an international emergency meeting.

The deal grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea.

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.