Prominent “Scenarios” Expected for the Mogadishu-Addis Ababa Disputes
Sudan Events – Agencies
Somali Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Dawud Awis Jami, considered that Ethiopia’s violation of the Somali Sea constitutes support for terrorism, according to the Somali News Agency.
Jami warned that the Ethiopian action “will have an impact on the countries of the region and the entire world,” adding, “Ethiopia has committed a major mistake that could support or encourage terrorism.”
Jami explained that Ethiopia is clearly violating the independence and sovereignty of the Somali nation, stressing that Somalia is always ready to live in peace with neighboring countries, but no one should violate the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Tension escalated in the Horn of Africa region after Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with “Somaliland” on January 1, providing it with a sea outlet.
The Somali government said that it would confront this agreement by all legal means. It denounced what it described as “aggression” by Ethiopia, which asserts that no laws were violated.
Under the agreement, “Somaliland” grants Ethiopia, which wants to establish a naval base and a commercial port on the sea, the right to use a 20-kilometre-long waterfront of its territory for a period of 50 years, through a “lease” agreement.
“Somalia” held Ethiopia responsible for arresting President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud and preventing his participation in the work of the African Summit (37), and called on the federal government to conduct an investigation into the incident, describing the matter as a violation of diplomatic norm and international laws, demanding a reconsideration of the headquarters agreement, which the African Union singled out for Addis Ababa.
Abdul Qadir Kawir, a researcher in African relations affairs, says to the Sudan “Pulse” website: The escalation of the dispute between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa is a natural product of sediments that carry political and social dimensions since nearly (6) decades ago.
While the state of tension and attraction that has arisen recently between the two countries is only the result of a change that has occurred in Somali internal politics, represented by the desire to deal with a form of balance and complete equality in accordance with the requirements and interests of each country.
And it certainly was not consistent with the desires of “Addis Ababa,” which apparently still considers “Somalia,” a country with economic and social fragility and civil conflicts, without taking any consideration into the variables.
On the other hand, journalist Abdo Aidi for the website of (Sudan Pulse) predicted that a clash would occur between the two countries and that Somalia would resort to taking more severe decisions than before.
Explaining that “Somalia” may sever relations diplomatically, as well as close the borders and areas between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa, especially after the incident of the detention of the Somali president during the African Summit (37) by Ethiopian security, and the agreement between the Somaliland region and Ethiopia, was practically the same as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty.
