The National Security Adviser to the President of Somalia, Hussein Macalin, said that Somalia is ready for a war with Ethiopia to prevent the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia on the sea, as he said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper.
The national security adviser said: “We are looking for all diplomatic options, and I think Ethiopia will come to its senses, but we are ready for war if Abiy Ahmed wants war.”
On January 1, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland that allows the construction of a coastal port and a military base in the Saylac Sea on the territory of the Republic of Somalia.
This action angered the Somali government which said that Somaliland is part of its territory, and the government declared that the agreement violates the sovereignty and governance of Somalia.
The President of Somalia will attend the IGAD summit in Kampala at the end of this month to discuss the new tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia. IGAD is trying to find a solution to the conflict between the two countries.
Addis Ababa’s move to the sea comes amid construction of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, which has angered Egypt and Sudan, who say it is reducing access to Nile water.
