Somalia has strongly condemned a recent agreement between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland that grants Ethiopia access to a port in exchange for potential recognition.
Acting Foreign Minister Ali Omar Balad declared that Somalia “will never accept” such an attempt to annex its territory.
Balad emphasized Somalia’s willingness to cooperate with Ethiopia for commercial purposes but stressed adherence to international regulations regarding landlocked countries’ access to the sea.
He downplayed the role of a recent defense and economic cooperation deal with Turkey in the current crisis, portraying it as a separate initiative focused on building Somalia’s maritime security forces.
Balad welcomed the UN’s decision to lift the arms embargo on Somalia, viewing it as a positive step in the fight against the militant group Al-Shabaab.
He expressed hope that this will allow Somalia to acquire more effective weaponry and partner with additional countries in its counterterrorism efforts.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration has outlined a three-pronged approach to combat Al-Shabaab.
This includes continued military operations, disrupting the group’s financial resources, and delegitimizing their ideology through religious pronouncements. Somalia is also seeking to bolster its military forces to counter the ongoing threat posed by the militants.
While distancing the Turkish cooperation deal from the Ethiopia dispute, Balad acknowledged that Turkey’s good relations with both countries could position it as a potential mediator.
Somalia is seeking international support to strengthen its maritime security and combat Al-Shabaab, and Turkey’s assistance in building its maritime forces is seen as a crucial step in this direction.
