EU reprimands Ethiopia, backs Somalia’s sovereignty

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The European Union has strongly backed the Federal Republic of Somalia following a perceived aggression by Ethiopia, which signed a covert agreement with Somaliland, an autonomous state within Somalia.

The agreement, which has been widely condemned by several entities including regional organizations, once effected, would see Ethiopia Navy control 20 kilometers of land along the Red Sea but within Somalia for the next 50 years in exchange for international recognition.

Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi signed the controversial agreement on Monday, which caught Somalia unaware. A few days before the agreement, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had met Bihi in Djibouti for unity talks.

Somalia received huge backing on Tuesday from the European Union, a major security and financial partner of Somalia, and treats Somaliland as part of Somalia. The union insists it recognizes Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The European Union would like to remind the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia according to its constitution, the Charters of the African Union and the United Nations," read the statement.

"This is key for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region," the European Union noted in a statement, which comes at the time Ethiopia is under serious scrutiny over the agreement. Just like the EU, Ethiopia is also a major security partner of the Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia termed the agreement "null and void " and immediately recalled her ambassador to Ethiopia for "further consultations" in a day that was full of tension. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told citizens to be "calm" noting that Somalia will not cede "even an inch" to Ethiopia.

The country also asked the United Nations to convene an emergency meeting and discuss the matter for stability. Ethiopia, which was initially a major ally of Somalia in recent years, has been finding a way of gaining access to the sea and has often explored Eritrea and Somalia.

Abiy Ahmed, a former Nobel Peace Price winner, has been struggling to contain stability in Ethiopia following years of Tigray war and ethnic clashes in Oromia and Amhara regions and his latest provocation of Somalia could probably destabilize the country further given global outrage on his agreement with Somaliland.

GAROWE ONLINE