EU urges respect for Somalia sovereignty after Ethiopia deal

The European Union on Tuesday (2 January) insisted Somalia’s sovereignty should be respected after Ethiopia signed a controversial deal with breakaway Somaliland.

The memorandum of understanding signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi on Monday gives Ethiopia access to the Red Sea port of Berbera and a leased military base.

The EU said in a statement that it “would like to remind the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia pursuant of its constitution, the Charters of the African Union and the United Nations.”

“This is key for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region,” the statement from an EU spokesperson said.

Somalia on Tuesday vowed to defend its territory as it branded the accord between Ethiopia and Somaliland an “aggression”.

The government in Mogadishu also said it had recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia and issued an appeal to the international community to stand by its side over the “blatant assault” on its sovereignty.

Somaliland, a former British protectorate of about 4.5 million people, has been seeking full statehood since claiming independence from Somalia in 1991.

But the move has not been recognised internationally and is fiercely opposed by Mogadishu although in reality the central government exercises little authority over the region’s affairs.