Somaliland and Ethiopia signs "Historic" MoU on access to Red Sea and Establishment of Naval Base

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Ethiopian Ambassador to the United states

 

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

 

[Illyria]

Oromos infiltrating Somali territories, an assimilating is a matter of concern.

 

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

[Che -Guevara]

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Lord Cameron 'sympathetic' to making surprise diplomatic move to fix Red Sea Houthi crisis

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has met with a senior Tory MP to discuss the formal recognition of a Somaliland as the Red Sea crisis escalates.

By DAVID MADDOX, Political Editor

20:00, Fri, Feb 2, 2024

 

Rishi Sunak condemns UK Houthi supporters

Lord Cameron has had discussions about the UK seizing an historic opportunity to help tackle the Red Sea crisis with the Houthi terrorists.

It has come as the government is coming under pressure to end a 33-year diplomatic impasse and recognise the state of Somaliland, a former British protectorate which is claimed by neighbouring Somalia.

by Taboola

The Daily Express has learnt that Lord Cameron has sat down with former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson who has been a champion of the Somaliland cause as the Houthi crisis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has intensified.

Houthi terrorist attacks on shipping have threatened one of the world’s biggest trade routes and both the UK and US have been firing on Houthi targets in response.

Sir Gavin told the Daily Express that “there is enormous sympathy” for the recognition of Somaliland but “that now needs to translate into something positive”.

 

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READ MORE: The unlikely country that could solve Houthi crisis in the Red Sea

Sir Gavin Williamson has been a champion of Somaliland since he was Defence Secretary (Image: Getty)

He warned: “If we do not seize this opportunity others will, and we will lose out on an ally in enormously strategic place who has immensely goodwill towards the UK.”

Sir Gavin has just returned from Somaliland with former Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis who has written for the Daily Express today pushing the case for recognition.

As the former colonial power, the UK is the “pen holder” at the United Nations for the fate of Somaliland and could influence its international recognition as well.

Sir Michael Ellis said: “The West needs all the friends it can get in a time of worrying instability in the world and here is a friend looking to help the West in a region where such allies are few and far between.

“It is in the UK’s strategic and economic interests to recognise Somaliland- but it would also be the morally right thing to do.”

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Somalilanders celebrating in London (Image: Getty)

Somaliland, which has maintained close ties with the UK, is, unlike Somalia, a functioning, peaceful democracy.

The country has a coastline on the Horn of Africa of 531 miles close to the current problems with the Houthis in Yemen.

It has a major port Berbera which is a key haven for shipping, a significant important export point for East Africa and a potential location to base UK and US warships.

In 1960 it was the twelfth African country to be made independent but within days united with Somalia.

After civil war and persecution, Somaliland became independent again in 1991 but has never officially been recognised even though Somalia has been described as “a failed state” and has been a base for pirates and terrorists.

Somaliland is a friend in an unstable world and must be recognised, says Sir Michael Ellis

The unlikely country that could solve Houthi crisis in the Red Sea

Lord Cameron 'sympathetic' to making surprise diplomatic move to fix Red Sea Houthi crisis

 

Somaliland is a friend in an unstable world and must be recognised, says Sir Michael Ellis

Lord Cameron 'sympathetic' to making surprise diplomatic move to fix Red Sea Houthi crisis

Sir Gavin said: “I think there was always a desire for an African country to recognise Somaliland first because of our colonial past and a wish not be accused of interfering with African politics.”

Rother Valley Tory MP Alexander Stafford has raised the issue with the Prime Minister in Parliament.

He told the Daily Express: “The UK must not wait any longer and take advantage of our unique diplomatic position as the UN Penholder to formally recognise Somaliland and continue our legacy of supporting democracies the world over.”

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

What Does the Recent Somaliland-Ethiopia Deal Reveal About Regional Dynamics?

Dr. Brendon J. Cannon‏‏

Feb 1, 2024

In early January 2024, Somaliland and Ethiopia reached an agreement that allows Addis Ababa access to the Red Sea. Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometers of its coastline to landlocked Ethiopia for 50 years. This will grant Ethiopia access to the Red Sea, facilitate trade at the Berbera Port, and reportedly enable Ethiopia to establish a naval base. In return, Ethiopia has promised to recognize the independence of Somaliland, which remains unrecognized in the international system, even though it has been a de facto sovereign power for the more than 30 years since it declared independence from the Somali Republic in 1991.

The international system is in anarchy. Anarchy refers to the absence of a central governing authority or a universally accepted hierarchy. This means that states operate without a higher authority to enforce rules or resolve conflicts. Under anarchy, state actors prize continuity and a semblance of order and avoid injecting uncertainty into the system. Ethiopia’s deal to use 20 kilometers of Somaliland’s coastline for its navy introduced a great deal of uncertainty into the system. In response, Egypt, the UK, Türkiye, the Arab League, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa rejected the agreement and backed Somalia’s claim to Somaliland.

This article proposes a measured approach moving forward. Despite initial concerns, the Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement could ultimately contribute to greater long-term stability in the Horn of Africa. While there will inevitably be winners and losers, resolving the longstanding tensions that have plagued the Red Sea and Horn of Africa since at least 1981 could lead to a more stable and secure region. Rather than reacting impulsively, states and other actors should consider the broader implications and potential positive outcomes of this agreement.

The Horn of Africa regional security complex (or Horn proto-complex) is experiencing a period of contested hegemony, not unlike the Middle East and, to a lesser extent, Europe. This means that although there is a hierarchy of states, no individual state is powerful enough to establish hegemony. In contrast, China is the clear hegemon in East Asia given its geographic position and economic and political clout. In the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia is the largest state in terms of population and geographic size, but for decades has lacked the economic and political power to exert significant influence. The country has struggled with internal conflict, economic malaise, and an unsettled political situation. Ethiopia’s leaders are attempting to change this by building the country’s economic base and transforming that into national power. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Addis-Djibouti transport corridor, and Ethiopia-Somaliland deal are all part of these efforts. Ethiopia’s ambitions predate the current regime of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (2018-present); it previously pursued a 2015 Ethiopia-DP World-Somaliland deal to expand and refurbish the Port of Berbera in Somaliland.

Ethiopia can now act without fearing major repercussions from regional states for several reasons. First, Addis Ababa’s interests in a robust transport corridor that supplements the Djibouti route clearly overlap with Somaliland’s interests. Somaliland’s leaders were fully prepared to lease a fraction of their territory in return for recognition of their sovereignty over the remaining 99 percent of Somaliland. Ceding access to 20 kilometers of coastline does not mean that Somalilanders have become less patriotic. Instead, it demonstrates their willingness to compromise to achieve what is in any state’s national interest: de jure recognition of sovereign territory. In the very near future, Somaliland might finally be able to join the international community of states.

Second, Sudan is riven by civil war and cannot effectively respond to Ethiopia’s efforts to eventually float a navy on the Red Sea. Third, the political pushback from IGAD, the Arab League, China, the UK, and US is unlikely to shift Addis Ababa’s and Hargeisa’s calculus or alter the facts on the ground.   

Even if Ethiopia continues to postpone formal recognition of Somaliland’s independence, Somaliland will remain a de facto independent state. If Addis Ababa does fulfill what it reportedly promised Somaliland (according to the Somaliland version of the deal), there is little doubt that certain other states will follow suit and recognize Somaliland’s independence for political reasons. Kenya and Israel are likely to be first movers in this regard, followed by the UK or US. Even without formal international recognition, Somalia’s relatively feeble claim over Somaliland has already been exponentially weakened. This means that Mogadishu’s mostly empty threats of force will meet resistance from both Somaliland and Ethiopia.

Pundits and policymakers in both the UK and the US are divided over the Somalia/Somaliland issue, and London and Washington will limit themselves to commenting on the deal. For its part, China has neither the power to act nor any reason to scupper the deal, regardless of how much Somaliland’s diplomatic recognition of Taiwan rankles Beijing. Ethiopia was just invited to join the BRICS and China has worked to curry favor in the country since the time of the Marxist Derg regime in the 1980s. China’s support for the Abiy government during the Tigray War, coupled with the West’s prevarication, cemented Ethiopia-China relations. Beijing has no desire to overturn what it has built. Gulf states have remained largely mute on this issue and, like China, will be dissuaded from further action by their generally good relations with Ethiopia.

Somalia’s ambassador to the Arab League stated that "this unilateral move by Ethiopia poses a threat to Arab national security and Red Sea shipping." However, the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region could benefit in the long run from the stability that will come from recognition of Somaliland’s independence and Ethiopia’s return to the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Somalia can focus on the Herculean task of patching itself up rather than trying to put the "one Somalia" Humpty Dumpty back together again. Red Sea littoral states can now begin to deal collectively with a long list of pressing issues, from piracy and rogue proxy actors to climate change and civil unrest. They will finally have the help of the full suite of Red Sea actors, including Somaliland with its over 700 kilometers of coastline, and Ethiopia, a landlocked state no longer. More certainty in the international system might not be pretty, and could even lead to conflict, but it does help clarify the hierarchy of interests for states in the region.   

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Ya secessionist, regardless how much of the little begged aid money the secessionists are paying basement-dwellers from the West for lobbying, this is done and finished.

You can cope all you want with useless articles by secessionists with fake Anglo names trying to fool traumatized marqaanville population. Or you - as the rest of the secessionists did - can disappear from online just like after the historical humiliation at Goojacadde. Soomaali online sphere was diehard secessionist-free from 25/08/2023 to 31/12/2023 - four wonderful months.

[Che -Guevara]

LOL 

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

31 minutes ago, Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar said:

Ya secessionist, regardless how much of the little begged aid money the secessionists are paying basement-dwellers from the West for lobbying, this is done and finished.

You can cope all you want with useless articles by secessionists with fake Anglo names trying to fool traumatized marqaanville population. Or you - as the rest of the secessionists did - can disappear from online just like after the historical humiliation at Goojacadde. Soomaali online sphere was diehard secessionist-free from 25/08/2023 to 31/12/2023 - four wonderful months.

This is not the right method to revive the cancerous union,  if u really dislike the Somalilanders that much , why not just support their separation i mean sideed  dad anad jeclayn oo anad rabin inay kula joogaan maxaad marka ka dooni la midowgooda, makes no sense to me 

[maakhiri1]

 

[Che -Guevara]

 

[Che -Guevara]