Ethiopia has never engaged us regarding illegal MoU, Somalia's president says

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has yet again reiterated that the Federal Republic of Ethiopia has never engaged Somalia over the illegal Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, noting that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been calling for mediation.

Earlier this month, officials from Somalia and Ethiopia met in Ankara where mediation talks were midwifed, but there was no immediate agreement on the framework of the talks, with participants agreeing to meet again in September this year.

But President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Ethiopia has refused to take responsibility for the diplomatic miss-up, adding that Somalia is after all not opposed to the mediation talks. He said Ethiopia is teetering around while asking for mediation.

"Ethiopia has never engaged with us regarding the illegal MoU. On the contrary, they are teetering around asking others for mediation," the president said on his official X account, formerly known as Twitter.

"Somalia is neither the instigator nor opposed to mediation. Ethiopia continues to evade responsibility for its diplomatic misstep," Hassan Sheikh added while calling for peace and stability within the Horn of Africa nation.

Ethiopia is a major security and development partner of Somalia having contributed thousands of soldiers to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), who are responsible for peacekeeping. There are close to 4,000 Ethiopian troops in Somalia.

The government of Ethiopia signed the agreement with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which would allow it to have access to the Red Sea in exchange for recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state.

However, the move has irked Somalia, which has accused Ethiopia of annexation and violation of the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. International partners have asked Somalia to embrace dialogue with Ethiopia.

GAROWE ONLINE