President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia has officially signed a law invalidating an agreement made by the breakaway region of Somaliland to grant Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in exchange for recognition as an independent nation. The president announced the decision late on Saturday, emphasizing Somalia’s commitment to safeguarding unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in accordance with international law.
The New Year’s Day deal, rejected by Somalia, involved Somaliland granting Ethiopia a 50-year lease for 20 km (12 miles) around the port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden, providing access to the Red Sea for its navy and commercial purposes. In return, Ethiopia would be the first nation to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence.
President Mohamud, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stated, “This evening, I signed the law nullifying the illegal MoU between the government of Ethiopia and Somaliland.” However, specific details about the new law or when it was passed by parliament were not provided.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, had expressed the ambition to secure Red Sea access, which had become a point of tension with neighboring nations and raised concerns about potential conflict in the Horn of Africa region. Abiy, in October, highlighted the importance of finding a balanced way for countries in the Horn of Africa to share resources if they aim to coexist peacefully. As of now, there has been no immediate comment from Somaliland or Ethiopian officials on Somalia’s rejection of the agreement.