The enclave’s government has called on the Egyptian government to respect Somaliland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, following recent statements by the head of Egyptian diplomacy.
The government of Somaliland has expressed dismay over the recent remarks made by the Egyptian Foreign Minister during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart. According to the official statement released on Wednesday, the statements regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between Somaliland and Ethiopia are ‘inaccurate, misleading and disregard the sovereign rights of the people of Somaliland.”
Hargeisa reiterates its commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and considers this partnership essential for regional stability and economic cooperation. It wishes to clarify that Somaliland “has never been part of the Mogadishu administration” and is “a distinct and independent nation with internationally recognized borders since its self-determination in 1991.”
The government calls on Egypt to respect Somaliland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while focusing its diplomatic efforts on crises in the Horn of Africa region.
Speaking to the press, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stressed the need for all nations to fully respect Somalia’s sovereignty and its right to benefit from its resources. Together with its Turkish counterpart, it also warned against actions and statements by neighbouring countries that could destabilize the Horn of Africa region, calling for diplomacy and respect for African Union (AU) border resolutions.
Somalia rejected the agreement as a violation of its sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.
The recent agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland gives Addis Ababa access to Red Sea ports through the region, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognized.cThe move drew strong condemnation from various international bodies and countries, including the European Union, the United States and Turkey, all of which reiterated the importance of Somalia’s territorial integrity and called for peaceful negotiations.
ARD/te/sf/lb/as/APA