Over the weekend, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a law nullifying a memorandum of understanding (MoU) initially agreed upon by Ethiopia and Somaliland, which gave Ethiopia access to the Gulf of Aden in exchange for recognizing Somaliland’s independence. The agreement also considered shares of equivalent value in Ethiopian airlines for Somaliland. President Mohamud’s move demonstrates Somalia’s determination to “safeguard our unity, sovereignty & territorial integrity as per international law.”
Declared independent from Somalia in 1991 amid a civil war, Somaliland is yet to receive full international recognition. Arising from the script of Somaliland’s Constitution, it is established as a democratic country with a multi-party political system.
The MoU, signed earlier this month, contained detailed plans for social, economic, political, and military cooperation between Ethiopia and Somaliland. According to Somaliland’s President, Muse Bihi Abdi, the agreement acknowledged Somaliland as an independent nation while also granting Ethiopia commercial sea access for 50 years on lease. Praising the MoU as a “mutually beneficial agreement” on January 2, President Abdi stated that the agreement is a precedent for international recognition.
On the other hand, the Ethiopian Government shed light on its historical loss of direct sea access and difficulties as a landlocked nation for the past three decades. According to them, the agreement with Somaliland eases the long-term hardships of Ethiopians. However, the statement shyly mentioned an ongoing assessment on recognising Somaliland’s sovereignty.
Mohamud, expressing the unconvinced standpoint of Somalia, stressed that “a Somali territory cannot be exchanged for a stake in any company.” In response to this turn of events, the international community has aired different views. The US State Department and the UK urged for a dialogue among stakeholders, maintaining their territorial recognition of Somalia. Turkey called for disputes to be resolved through direct Somalian negotiations. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) firmly rejected any act infringing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.
Despite all these, Ethiopia insists that the MoU will not disrupt any existing trust or laws. Read more about the story on Jurist.