A shameful way to start the new year: Ethiopia infringes on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia

[Deeq A.]

Ethiopia’s move to sign a Memorandum Of Understanding,  (MOU) with a regional state in Somalia, a self-declared independent state on Somalia, is a historical, political, and legal mistake. Given the fact that Somaliland is not recognized by the international community as a sovereign country and remains part of Somalia, the MOU violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia. Ethiopia’s move to sign the MOU with Somaliland, leasing 20 Kilometers stretch of the Somali coastline for establishing a base for Ethiopian marine forces comes just days after the reconciliation efforts by Djibouti to establish a roadmap for talks between the Somalia and Somaliland. The meeting in Djibouti was attended by the president of Somalia Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and regional president of Somaliland Muse Bihi. The MOU undermines the talks between Somalia and Somaliland and wider international efforts for peace and security in the region. This could potentially disrupt the delicate balance of power in the region and have far-reaching consequences for the sovereignty of Somalia. The sovereignty of a nation is a foundational principle in international relations, and any attempts by one country to infringe upon the territorial integrity and autonomy of another are bound to raise concerns and tensions. In the case of Somalia, a nation that has already faces numerous challenges, including political instability, security issues, and economic struggles, the MOU signed with Somaliland would further exacerbate these vulnerabilities. This article highlights the reasons why it is shameful for Ethiopia to have taken advantage of a country that is trying to regain its stability with its quest to fraudulently access its ports. Somalia has been making good progress and has most recently joined the East African Community (EAC), a free trade agreement between member countries, notably Ethiopia is not a member of the EAC.

1. Violates the UN Charter: The UN Charter states that each member state, regardless of its size or power, has an equal right to sovereign independence. It also highlights the principles for not interfering with the internal affairs of member countries. States are expected to respect the political independence of other nations. Therefore, since Ethiopia is a member state, it is bound by this charter, and signing an MOU with Somaliland which is still a region of Somalia, violates this charter.
2. Violates International Law on Boundaries: Given the fact that Somaliland is still part of Somalia, access to its ports by Ethiopia violates the principles of international law. This is why Ethiopia should have involved the federal government of Somalia before signing any memorandum of understanding with Somaliland.
3. Violates African Union Constitutive Act: AU Constitutive Act requires the leaders in African countries to foster a sense of togetherness, harmony, integration, and collaboration among the inhabitants of Africa and the nations within the continent. Hence, the move by the Ethiopian administration to sign an MOU with Somaliland which is a region in an African country (Somalia) violates, this act as it does not promote peace and unity in Somalia. Since the signing on 1^st January 2024, there have been demonstrations across the country and condemnation by the current administration of President Dr. Hassan Sheikh.
4. Threatens the stability of Somalia: Somalia is on the verge of gaining political stability as it has made significant strides under the current administration of President Dr. Hassan Sheikh which has overseen milestones such as becoming a member of EAC, the lifting of the arms embargo, and the relief of $5.2 billion in debt to $600 million. However, interference by Ethiopia by signing the MOU with Somaliland threatens this stability as it could lead to revival of Al-Shabaab. As history does not lie, Ethiopia’s entry into Somalia in 2006 with the aim of combating the Islamic Courts Union resulted in the emergence of the Al-Shabab, which continues to present a notable security concern. The MOU could also lead to a regional war between Somalia and Ethiopia since unwarranted access to Somalia territory would be perceived as a form of aggression.

Conclusion

●      Ethiopia has a history of having tense relations with its neighboring countries and over the years has continued to stir violence and wage war with neighbors. For instance,  Ethiopia waged war against one of its former regions (Eretria) that had gained independence from them due to disagreements about the exact location of the new Ethiopian–Eritrean border. There have been all forms of natural resource-based conflicts between Ethiopia and neighboring countries like Kenya, Egypt, Djibouti, and Sudan. Therefore, the issue of a memorandum of understanding signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland should be urgently addressed by the regional and international community. Somalia is on the right path to stability under the current administration of President Dr. Hassan Sheikh and any form of interference by the neighboring countries like Ethiopia undermines the milestones achieved so far. In addition, the MOU signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland violates the international laws, UN charter, AU charter and  IGAD Charter and infringes on the territorial sovereignty of Somalia. Furthermore, the presence of Ethiopia in Somalia could give rise to extremism as happened in 2006. It is shameful that a country (Ethiopia) that is the seat of the AU and one of ATMIS forces contributing countries would prey on country (Somalia) that is on baby steps towards stability. It is also dysfunctional for Ethiopia that has defaulted on their debts to be willing to set up a maritime base in Somaliland. How would they finance it,  Ethiopia should be sanctioned by the regional and the international community for this form of aggression against Somalia.

Abdullahi M Hassan (Abdullahi Yabarow)
abdullahiyabarow.blogspot.com
@siigaale1

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