The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, addressed the Somali Parliament today, delivering a strong response to recent comments made by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over an agreement with the the self declared republic of Somaliland.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized the importance of Ethiopia’s access to the sea and suggested that Somalia could enhance its agricultural production using resources from the sea. He remarked what he describes, “The Somali government’s spending money on foreign travel, it would be better spent building a school or construction of one kilometre road for the people in Mogadishu to benefit them”.
“You can come to Addis Ababa; we are ready to talk. We do not want Somalia to face destruction or division.” He added.
In response, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Ethiopia of breaching international norms and diplomatic protocols.
“The Ethiopian government is traveling around the world, evading the diplomatic errors it committed earlier and the international rules it should follow today,” he stated.
President Mohamud highlighted that Ethiopia has historically not acted as a good neighbor to Somalia and continues to deviate from the correct path.
“Recently, Ethiopia violated our neighborhood and international rules, and now it still refuses to follow the right path. Ethiopia has always been a neighbor, but it has not addressed the current issues in a constructive manner. Instead, it is suggesting reconciliation with Somalia without acknowledging its actions,” he added.
The President further asserted that Somalia has not violated any agreements and is ready for peace and dialogue. He noted that recent discussions held in Turkey were initiated at Ethiopia’s request, but failed due to Ethiopia’s unwillingness to compromise on the maritime MoU with Somaliland signed on January 1st this year.
