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

[Arafaat]

You don’t have an agreement yet even nobody seen the so called MoU, not even Parliament has seen it. So there is no agreement that been agreed yet, neither has anyone seen it, nothing drafted so far, nor signed, nothing adopted by Parliament and Guurti or even enforced by both sides. And already wa hanjabisaa to Jabuuti and Somalia; over what exactly!? Thats why Somaliland has scored nothing so far; and is even in the loss here. 

There is not much to talk about, except this Ethiopian smoke screen created to distract folks from other domestic troubles. That’s why you also respond only to this topic and not to the many elephants in the room.  

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

What other domestic issue  elections will be held there isnt an issue at all

The agreement is in play they are working on it  its not done yet  when its done we can discuss about the details whether  it is good ro bad .. And there is no  hanajabad for jabuuti or the bunker all that is that we are after our own interest. and we could care less about theirs as they dont care for ours seems fair to me.

 

[galbeedi]

Xaaji, Abiy is bankrupt. Insecurity is soon coming near you in Addis.

This MOU will be probably implemented by the next Ethiopian leader when the time is right. It will all depend by direction and character of the Somali leadership in Mogadishu. If they are bold and visionary and think beyond the current squabble, we might even take land from Ethiopia rather thing give them a sea. The weak Jigjiga based Cagjar could even think big and prepare for the future.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

ur to optimistic about Somalia the situation in Somalia hasnt changed the past what 7 8 years Amisom is now called atmis and the bunker govt is still dysfunctional, and now even worse since the stand off with the garowe clan enclave which is the only meaninfull so called federal state in Somalia.

 

As for Ethiopia i doubt the Amhara can bring Abiy Ahmed to his knees if abiye uses his cards well he will use the tigrayans against the Amhara and keep his galla in all important possition as for ina cagjar what his role in all of this is. He should focus on how to keep the Affars away from Somali teritories that should his main goal be and ofcourse the galla hordes keep them away that should be his objective

 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Somaliland eyes Ethiopia's recognition amid Somalia tensions 

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Friday May 17, 2024
By Eshete Bekele

Somalia considers Somaliland as part of its territory even though the region has had effective autonomy since 1991Image: Eshete Bekele/DW

Somaliland is keen to conclude a controversial deal with Ethiopia that would see Addis Ababa recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia's strong opposition to the deal could increase already tense relations.

Somalia's breakaway province of Somaliland is commemorating the anniversary of its unilateral declaration of independence on May 18, 1991 — even though its claims of sovereignty have remained unrecognized by the international community.  

Amid the preparations, Somaliland's authorities have been preparing to conclude a controversial deal with neighboring Ethiopia.

Once signed, the agreement would cement Ethiopia's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state — despite strong objections from Somalia's government.

In return for landlocked Ethiopia's official recognition, Somaliland will lease out 20 kilometers (12 miles) of sea access for 50 years while also allowing Ethiopia to build a military base on its coast.

Somaliland's leader, Muse Bihi Abdi, signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2024 as a first step towards a firm agreement with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Details of the memorandum were not disclosed. After its signing, Ethiopian officials hinted that the final agreement would include a commercial port for its maritime traffic, but provisions for a port specifically for Ethiopia's commercial purposes does not seem to be on offer. 

Somaliland's Berbera Port "will be available for all entities including Ethiopian business people and government to use," Somaliland Finance Minister Saad Ali Shire told DW. "So, there is no need for another port to be built."

What happens next? 

DW understands that a technical team appointed by Bihi has submitted its recommendations for an agreement with Ethiopia.

The team, which includes "specialized international law firms and Somaliland lawyers has started working on the Somaliland position paper" for the final agreement, a source close to the government told DW.



Somaliland's Berbera port offers Ethiopia a gateway to the Red Sea and further north to the Suez CanalImage: MUSTAFA SAEED/AFP

Somaliland has reportedly identified three possible sites that Ethiopia could lease for its military base.

"I'm not privy to tell exactly the names of these three areas that we are thinking about, but it's something that will be decided together with the Ethiopian counterpart," Essa Kayd, Somaliland's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, told DW.

"As soon as we sign the agreement and agree on the naval base and all the conditions that are attached to it, and we're satisfied — right after that Ethiopia will do the proclamation and recognize Somaliland."

"I think I'd say the coming months maybe two months or so should be finalized," Kayd added.

Why is recognition important for Somaliland?

Somalilanders have high hopes of the benefits that Ethopia's recognition will bring.

"Politically it is important because once recognized, we will have a voice in the international political platform," said Saad Ali Shire.

"We will be able to connect with the international financial system, we will be able to borrow money from the international financial institutions."

Government officials, opposition leaders and analysts in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa insist that Somaliland is sovereign. They resist terms such as a "breakaway" or a "self-declared" to assert sovereignty. 

"We flagged it, as it isn't our legal status as a country," said Fatima Omer, a communications advisor for the Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Somaliland's journey towards 're-recognition'

The former British Somaliland gained its independence on June 26, 1960. But enjoyed it only for five days.

Then, on July 1, 1960, it united with Somalia Italiana and formed the Republic of Somalia. The merger was intended to unite all Somali-speaking people, who had been divided by the colonizers.

"It was not a project of Somalia and Somaliland, it was a project of getting back the land of Somali-speaking people," said Jama Musse Jama, an ethnomathematician and a staunch campaigner for Somaliland.

However, it didn't last long, and, according to Jama, "that was the mistake the Somalilanders have done." 

The whole world — especially the West — was against the project of creating a large Somali-speaking country that would have been the largest in the region.

"Somalilanders understood that was not working and they tried immediately to go back and get their independence," he explained.

It took Somaliland more than three decades to unilaterally declare its independence after the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre's government in 1991. But the declaration was never recognized internationally.

That's something the government in Hargeisa and campaigners like Jama Musse Jama are still pushing for.

"The recognition already has been granted in 1960. We are trying to rectify those mistakes and get the re-recognition of Somaliland," said Jama.

Mohamed Warsame, a former UN staffer who now heads one of Somaliland's opposition parties, criticizes the international community for turning its back on Somaliland.

"We were funding and financing our republic, which is independent and sovereign, for the last 34 years, while the international community gave us their back," he said.



Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, which unilaterallyy declared its independency in 1991Image: Eshete Bekele/DW

Strong opposition from Somalia

Even now as Somalilanders feel they are close to what they have been chasing for more than three decades, their dream faces strong opposition from Somalia.

Somalia never accepted Somaliland's declaration of independence — and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud nullified the memorandum of understanding five days after it was signed, accusing Ethiopia of "attempting to annex" the territory of Somalia.

"This illegal action will cause tensions, conflict and regional instability if it is not retracted," Somalia's president warned last January.

Tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia have spiked since Somalia expelled Ethiopia's Ambassador to Mogadishu and ordered the closure of consulates in Hargeisa and Garowe, capital of Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

Ethiopia-Somalia relations strained

"We're aware that [Somalian] President Hassan Sheikh and his group have been running around different countries and different partners to have this MoU nullified, but I don't think that there's any possibility for them to do so," Kayd told DW.

"Somaliland is a sovereign state, a sovereign government, as such we can get into bilateral relations and sign agreements with every country."

The tension between the two neighbors with a long protracted history has been a concern for the international community. But this is "irrational" for Mohamed Farah, director of the Hargeisa-based Academy for Peace and Development.

"Somaliland has the right under international law to get international recognition. Ethiopia has the right unilaterally to recognize Somaliland," he argued.

"If the government of Somaliland is able to convince the opposition parties, the public, the parliament, that this MoU and the agreement that will follow serve the best interest of the country, I don't see a big obstacle that can block the way," said Mubarik Abdulahi, the first deputy chair of the Barwaaqo political association, based in Somaliland.

Retired diplomat Mohamed Warsame, who once served as Bihi's advisor, remains upbeat about the possible recognition of Somaliland.

"If Ethiopia leads the way, we will be the 55th member of the African Union," he said.

[Arafaat]

“Aqoonsi will come end of the year”, just before the elections and will lead to people celebrating and the miraculous re-elections(daylight robbery). The script is that simple.  

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Recognition is far more important than elections

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

#𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐧

 

As he adds that implementation process of the Somaliland-Ethiopia MoU is at an advanced stage By M.A. Egge #Somaliland government has once again reiterated that the implementation of the Somaliland-Ethiopia MoU that was signed between the two countries on the first day of the first month of this year by the leaders of both nations is on course and at an advanced stage. The state at the same time has confirmed the upgrading of Ethiopian consular office in Hargeisa, Somaliland as a full embassy as first disclosed by the Head of State H.E. President Musa Bihi Abdi in his address to the nation in the occasion of the national 18th May celebrations. The elaborative sentiments were made by the Information, Culture and National Guidance minister Hon. Ali Hassan Mohamed, alias Ali-Marehaan on Saturday during an interview with BBC Somali Service monitored by the THT. The minister emphasized that the upgrading of the Ethiopian representative office in Somaliland to a fully fledged one was officially a bonafide information since it was revealed by none other than the President himself in his speech to the nation during the most important date of the government calendar. He similarly reiterated that the agreement of the crucial bilateral relations in the said MoU between both countries was right on course and would be implemented duly and in due cause as per procedural international treaties, a fact that he said the Head of State himself addressed in his speech. Hon. Ali made it clear that the latest development in Somaliland-Ethiopia relations is not a new chapter of policies, but indeed, it is the apex of a three-decade old of multi-prong bilateral relations that fledge and bolster even more as time goes hence has concretely solidified. In responding to prods of queries by the interviewer, the minister was vivid that the government of Mogadishu does not hold any sway over Somaliland and that the charting of the future of the country was not in any way the concern of Somalia at all. He made it clear that the nation of the Republic of Somaliland had a healthy relation with Ethiopia long before the Mogadishu government built a semblance of governance institutions in their own back-yard. He similarly pointed out that the Somaliland-Ethiopia border was far much longer than that shared with Somalia hence its bulk of economical, social and security relations has been for eons. He assured the listeners that Somaliland aspirations were on course as envisioned

[Arafaat]

On 5/18/2024 at 2:46 AM, Xaaji Xunjuf said:

Recognition is far more important than elections

You must think Elections are some sort of a choice on a menu, like an appetiser or a dessert that one can simply skip in favour of the main course, but on the contrary they are a must, with or without recongnition, war or no war. 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Nonsense  elections is good to change leaders ship from time to time but we need new arrangements. Presidential terms should be made ten years  there for sitting president  will not work on extension and willl have enough time to implement his policies .

as for recognition it’s part of every president his policy it’s a National cause it’s something all 3 parties guurti and parliament work for . It’s not just something for just politicians  to work but also the  the local citizens abroad or in the country .

It’s a National objective a National cause until it’s secured every one should put it as first priority  before anything else before elections  before anything else because  it is so important for our very own existence and ultimate freedom

 

 

 

 

[Arafaat]

The MOU is the new kitaab of Heego, even though nobody has seen it.  

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

what is heego

[Tallaabo]

On 5/18/2024 at 12:46 AM, Xaaji Xunjuf said:

Recognition is far more important than elections

Only the fools would want to live under a corrupt, oppressive, and divisive tyranny recognised and legitimised by the UN. So, recognition isn't more important than elections. 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Elections happen in Somaliland one way or the other all leaders in the country extended their term it  is part of the SL political culture the future leaders post ina biixi will do that also ,  so nothing new what is far more important then leaders and elected leaders and politics and party politics and domestic politics is , Somaliland national interests recognition defending the nation , fighting our enemies. Aniga igu ma mashquulin kartid sheekooyinka mafriska iyo qaadka iyo xisbi hebel iyo siyaasi hebel.  Qaran number one always put the nation first

 

 

[Arafaat]

On 5/30/2024 at 2:36 AM, Xaaji Xunjuf said:

what is far more important then leaders and elected leaders and politics and party politics and domestic politics is , Somaliland national interests recognition defending the nation , fighting our enemies. Aniga igu ma mashquulin kartid sheekooyinka mafriska iyo qaadka iyo xisbi hebel iyo siyaasi hebel.  Qaran number one always put the nation first

 

 

Somali’s really need to have a dialogue on what is understood by ‘Qaran’, clearly people having a completely different understanding of this term, what it means and what it’s fundaments are. 

We have been so loosely using and abusing the term for so long, justifying waging war against own civilians, bombing cities, calling every critical thinker ‘qaran dumis’, refusing any sort of reflection, dialogue and thinking on the political discourse, silencing political opponents, all in the name of ‘difaaca Qaranka’. 

What is even more funnier is that one feels urgently the need to defend the nation against enemies (‘Difaaca Qaranka’ ), comes at times that rulers are holding on to power far beyond expiration dates.