The United States over the weekend announced that it wil not recognise Ethiopia’s port access deal with Somaliland, and called for a diplomatic resolution of ongoing tensions with neighbouring Somalia.
The MoU, which grants Ethiopia access to Somaliland’s Red Sea coastline, has fueled a diplomatic rift with Somalia, which views the deal as an infringement on its sovereignty.
The US stance was expressed by its ambassador to Somalia Richard Riley who reaffirmed Washington’s position over the MoU, and revealed mediation efforts to defuse the situation diplomatically.
“We are very much aware and working collaboratively to make sure there is a diplomatic resolution of this current situation,” Riley was quoted as saying during an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu.
“It is an unfortunate situation, very disruptive, and started with this MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia. Of course, we do not recognize it, and we are trying to solve it through diplomatic channels.”
The dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia erupted earlier this year when Ethiopia signed the MoU with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region that Somalia continues to claim as part of its territory.
Under the agreement, Ethiopia would gain access to a significant portion of Somaliland’s Red Sea coastline for leasing, which raised alarm in Mogadishu.
Somalia considers any agreements made by Somaliland without its consent as a violation of its national sovereignty.
Ethiopian forces have long been present in Somalia as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), contributing to regional security, but the diplomatic fallout from this MoU has placed strains on relations between the two countries.
