Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-The President of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on Tuesday condemned the signed agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, involving the leasing of 20 kilometers of sea to Ethiopia.
Addressing an emergency joint parliamentary session, the President termed Ethiopia’s actions as an illegal infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“As a government, we have condemned and rejected Ethiopia’s illegal infringement into our national sovereignty and territorial integrity yesterday. Not an inch of Somalia can or will be signed away by anybody. Somalia belongs to the Somali people. This is final,” President Mohamud declared.
He further stated that the federal government would take lawful actions to protect and defend its territory from any attempts by an external party to claim it.
“Somalia belongs to Somalis. We have always defended our territorial integrity and sovereignty, and we will assert our exclusive rights in accordance with international laws. We will protect every inch of our sacred land and not tolerate attempts to relinquish any part of it,” he emphasized.
Somali Cabinet Ministers, chaired by the Prime Minister, convened a meeting to reject the agreement and accused the Ethiopian government of violating Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to international laws.
In response to concerns expressed by Somali leaders, the federal government has recalled its ambassador for consultation.
“In response to this issue, the Federal Government of Somalia is recalling its ambassador to Ethiopia for urgent consultation,” the statement read.
The agreement signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland involved the leasing of 20 km of sea to Ethiopia in exchange for recognition of Somaliland as an independent nation.
The federal government declared this step as null and void, warning that it would pose threats to neighbors’ well-being, regional peace, and stability. It cautioned Ethiopia against any attempt to violate the sovereignty, independence, and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Somalia has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council and the African Union to discuss Ethiopia’s violation and intervention against Somalia’s independence.
The Prime Minister of Somalia urged the Somali people to remain calm and assured them that not an inch of Somalia would be claimed by an external party.
Somaliland, which Somalia claims to be part of, declared autonomy in 1991 after the collapse of the functional Somali government but has not yet received international recognition as an independent state. Despite this, it has maintained peace and security for over 30 years.