Ethiopia PM: We are not interested in fighting Somalia
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says he is not interested in fighting Somalia, arguing that the agreement signed with Somaliland is set to improve the economic fortunes of the Horn of Africa nation and does not intend to undermine the sovereignty of the Horn of Africa nation.
Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland which if implemented, would see the country getting 20 kilometers of Red Sea for the next 50 years in exchange for recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state. Somaliland is not recognized internationally.
However, the former Nobel Peace Prize winner insists that he supports the unity and stability of Somalia, noting that the deal does not affect the relationship between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu, contrary to what critics believe.
“When it comes to Somalia’s unity, this government cannot be tattled,” Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed said earlier this week during a meeting with the central committee members of his party.
He emphasized that there is no interest in conflict with Somalia. “Ethiopia has absolutely no interest in fighting against Somalia,” he said. The Prime Minister seems to relate the reaction to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland to the ongoing propaganda war.
“When it comes to the Somaliland issue, initially, when we stated the need for a seaport, there was an extensive campaign implying that we were going to fight over Assab (part of Eritrea for the past 30 years). Now, when it involves Somaliland, the situation is not that it is welcomed; we are not fighting over Assab. Somaliland itself became the agenda,” Abiy told central committee members of his party.
Portraying Somalia as a brother, relative, and neighbor, more than anyone – as he puts it, he asserted that no country in the world has paid as much sacrifice as Ethiopia in support of Somalia. He stated that tens of thousands of Ethiopians sacrificed their lives in Somalia in defense of Somalia’s peace for over a decade now.
He also claimed efforts to unify Somalia by arranging a meeting between Somalia’s former president, Farmajo, and Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi.
The deal has rattled many countries and organizations, who insist that Ethiopia is hellbent on occupying Somalia country to international treaties and charters that protect the sovereignty of states. Addis Ababa is keen to establish a military base and port along the Red Sea.
GAROWE ONLINE
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Publish date : 2024-01-27 08:00:00
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