Ethiopia is free to have access to sea, says Somalia president

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh says Ethiopia has a right to access the sea, but maintains the circumstances must define their quest in line with the rule of law, which ought to be followed strictly.

Ethiopia signed a controversial agreement with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which if implemented, would see the country getting 20 kilometers of the Red Sea for construction of a military base and port.

In return, Ethiopia pledged to become the first country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign country, a move which irked Somalia. Since then, Somalia has excommunicated Ethiopia's ambassador to the country besides closing down consulates in Hargeisa and Garowe.

But Hassan Sheikh says Somalia has not refused Ethiopia access to the sea. Ethiopia is a landlocked nation and for decades, it has struggled to get access to the sea. It has been using the Port of Djibouti for freight services.

“The question is how?”, he asked during a speech about “Strengthening Regional Cooperation in East African Community” in Mogadishu.

“If Ethiopia wants access to the Somalia Sea we welcome it but we want Ethiopia to have access the same way that Uganda has access to the Kenya Sea, the same way that Burundi and Rwanda have access to the Tanzania sea…, and the same way Ethiopia has access to Djibouti sea,” he said.

“We are not accepting anything beyond that,” he added. “Forget about deploying naval forces in Somalia and having a naval base in Somalia.”

A source within Ethiopia says the country has started implementing the deal, with Somaliland also confirming the progress. Somalia insists that it will only agree to have a dialogue with Ethiopia the moment it recants the disputed agreement.

GAROWE ONLINE