Somali Prime Minister accuses Ethiopia of sabotaging Somalia-Somaliland talks

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Tuesday March 5, 2024

Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre has accused Ethiopia of being determined to undermine the Somali government's efforts to continue talks with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Speaking in Mogadishu on Tuesday, Barre stated that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Addis Ababa on January 1 betrayed Somaliland and emphasized that the Somali government has shown great patience with Ethiopia.

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"We have endeavoured to be patient as much as possible. Ethiopian troops are in our country, yet we haven't asked them to leave. Their ambassador remains here, and we haven't expelled him. Their planes continue to arrive, and we haven't barred them. We seek to maintain the interests of our people in harmony and good neighbourliness. We still hold hope that they will withdraw from the so-called MoU agreement," said the Prime Minister.

Barre has called on Somaliland leaders to return to the negotiating table.

In the last week of December last year, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland agreed to resume dialogue to address outstanding issues after enduring political tensions and years of deadlock.

The agreement, reached after two days of talks mediated by Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, marked the first of its kind since 2020 when similar negotiations stalled.

Following the Djibouti talks, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed invited Somaliland President Muse Bihi to Addis Ababa to sign a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on January 1, granting Ethiopia access to the sea.

Somalia has stated that there is no room for mediation in the dispute with Ethiopia unless Addis Ababa cancels its controversial deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

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