Somalia’s ambassador to Tanzania, Ilyas Ali Hassan reiterated the government’s position on Ethiopia’s desire for the agreement that Somaliland signed with Addis Ababa earlier this year so that Ethiopia will have a navy and a military base.
“Somalia welcomes the efforts of regional leaders to maintain peace, security, and stability in the Horn of Africa. However, its position remains unchanged: Until the memorandum of understanding on January 1, 2024, is rendered null and void that exist, while respecting the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia,” Ambassador Ilyas said in a brief statement posted on his blog.
The ambassador’s statement comes just hours after the press conference where Kenyan President William Ruto said in Tanzania that his government and Uganda will mediate between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The people of Somalia are waiting for the ambassador’s statement on how the senior leadership of Ruto’s proposed government will interact with them and how they will be firm in their previous position.
The Somali government has made international efforts to put pressure on Ethiopia to withdraw from the agreement with Somaliland and all these efforts have resulted in the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia not being moved.
