Addis Ababa(Mogadishu24)-Somaliland Army Chief, Gen. Nuh Ismail and the Ethiopian National Defense forces Chief of the General Staff, Field Marshal, Berhanu Jula on Monday held discussions aimed at enhancing military cooperation between the two sides.
The Somaliland delegation left Hargeysa Sunday, to initiate possible military cooperation together with Ethiopian National Defense Forces after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland signed on January 1st, 2024
Sources confirmed to Mogadishu24 that Somaliland and Ethiopia Government are planning to turn the MoU into action as soon as possible, despite worsening diplomatic row between the Federal Government of Somalia and Ethiopia.
Minister of Defense for the Breakaway Republic of Somaliland,Abdiqani Mohamud Ateye on Sunday resigned from the post due to MoU, leasing sea access to Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Government provided further details about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the breakaway republic of Somalia on January 1st, leasing 20 kilometers of coastline along the red sea to Ethiopia four days earlier.
Redwan Hussein, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia said in an interview with local media that the MoU with Somaliland gives opportunity to the next generations of Ethiopians, stressing the agreement suited 100 years (a century) but a 50-year contract which also sounded good, he said.
“We’re getting sea access at an area very close to us, it is called ‘Lug-haye’. the agreement is based on 50-year contract, but for us, we would have liked to 99 to 100 years. Even if it is 50 year-contract, it is for two generations. First it expands opportunities. The image of the world as well as the one of Ethiopia will change at that time”, Hussein said in the interview.
Redwan revealed that Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland as sovereign as state when sea access deal and building of military base for Ethiopia in area are implemented successfully, adding that shares on country’s telecom and Airlines Carries will be next.