Somalia’s president has officially ratified a law that effectively invalidates a controversial pact between Ethiopia and Somaliland, marking a symbolic move demonstrating the government’s disapproval of the agreement granting port access.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that the law nullified an “illegitimate” agreement allowing landlocked Ethiopia access to the Red Sea through Somaliland—a separatist region in the northwest that Somalia has limited control over.
The bill’s approval on Saturday evening was hailed by the president as a commitment to upholding unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in accordance with international law. This statement was shared on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
Mogadishu’s central government has pledged to vehemently challenge the port deal through legal avenues. The agreement between Ethiopia, a regional power, and Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, lacks international recognition.
Somalia condemned the sudden agreement as an act of “aggression” and a violation of its sovereignty, seeking international support. Despite its opposition to Somaliland’s independence claim, Somalia has limited influence over the self-governing state, which operates its own governance, security forces, currency, and boasts an extensive coastline on a vital global shipping route.
Somaliland’s leadership suggested that Ethiopia would formally acknowledge the Republic of Somaliland under the deal, yet confirmation from the Addis Ababa government is pending.
The accord has escalated tensions in the Horn of Africa, prompting calls for restraint and respect for Somalia’s sovereignty from key entities including the African Union, United States, European Union, and Arab League.
The memorandum of understanding grants Ethiopia access to commercial maritime services and a military base, with Somaliland leasing a 20-kilometer coastline for 50 years.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation and one of the largest landlocked countries globally, lost its coastal access after Eritrea’s independence in 1993 following a prolonged conflict. Since then, Ethiopia has largely relied on Djibouti for its trade after its port access in Eritrea was disrupted due to conflicts and war.
