Hassan Sheikh: If Ethiopia takes one action, we shall take two or three

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has fired warning shots to Ethiopia yet again, insisting that Mogadishu will not hesitate to take action against Addis Ababa over the controversial deal with Somaliland signed early this month.

Ethiopia signed an agreement that would give her exclusive access to 20 kilometers of the Red Sea for its military base and port, with Somaliland guaranteed international recognition in return. The deal has triggered sharp reactions from members of the international community who pledged to support Somalia.

During Friday prayers, Hassan Sheikh warned that Somalia is ready for a possible war with Ethiopia, insisting on the resilience and determination of locals. He asked the international community not to question the next course of action should Ethiopia 'dare us'.

“The day they [Ethiopia] take one action step, we’ll take two, three, four….they cannot blame us, and the international community cannot blame us. They cannot say ‘why did the Somali government took this decision,” he said at a mosque in Mogadishu.

Several countries including the US, UK, and China have supported Somalia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, arguing that Ethiopia went overboard by signing the agreement. Somaliland is a breakaway region of Somalia and has been fighting for statehood.

On Friday, Mustafa Omer, the president of the Somali region of Ethiopia (Ogaden), backed the agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, in what could escalate the conflict between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

In a video posted by local media, Omer said Ethiopia relies on neighbouring countries to export and import. To enter this kind of agreement and secure access to a port and naval base to defend its political and strategic interest on Red Sea, is beneficial to the country, he reportedly said.

Also, local media in Ethiopia reported that the political parties in Ethiopia supported the deal. The international community has insisted that it will stand with Somalia while calling for an amicable resolution to the conflict which could trigger war in the Horn of Africa.

GAROWE ONLINE