Thursday February 22, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud enacted the Turkey-Somalia Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement approved by the country's executive and legislative branches on Wednesday.
President Mohamud posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, stating, "I have signed the Defense and Economic Cooperation Agreement between the governments of Somalia and Turkey, which was approved by the members of the People's Assembly of the Federal Parliament of Somalia. The agreement is part of the country's efforts to protect security, resources, independence, and territorial integrity of Somalia."
He added that the 10-year agreement supports the development of the blue economy, fish production, economic infrastructure construction, marine resource protection, counterterrorism efforts, and prevention of all illegal activities along Somalia's coastline.
The new agreement comes amid increasing tension between Somalia and Ethiopia, sparked by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and Somalia's breakaway Somaliland region. Somalia firmly rejected the MOU, alleging that Ethiopia aims to annex parts of Somalia's territory. President Hassan Sheikh has voiced this concern at African Union meetings and on other occasions.