Somaliland eyes Somalia talks, rethinks Ethiopia deal

[Deeq A.]

HARGAISA, Somalia – Somaliland’s newly elected leadership is seeking to reopen dialogue with Somalia’s Federal Government, a year after a controversial memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sea access with Ethiopia strained relations between Mogadishu and Hargeisa.

The move signals a potential shift in regional dynamics and a possible reconsideration of the contentious Ethiopia deal.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro), who took office in December after delayed elections, has assembled a cabinet largely supportive of mending ties with Mogadishu. This shift aims to restore Somaliland’s diminished diplomatic influence, which suffered following the Ethiopia MoU.

Shortly after the 2024 Somaliland presidential election, Mohamoud Adan Jama (Galal), spokesperson for the Waddani party and the newly appointed Somaliland representative to Taiwan, told the media that the new administration would review the MoU with Ethiopia.

“The Waddani party views the maritime memorandum of understanding as a flawed step taken by the former President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, to conceal leadership failures and gain political advantage ahead of the 2024 presidential election,” a Hargeisa-based research center reported.

Stalled dialogue and shifting positions

The Somali Federal Government has reportedly downgraded the activities of the Office of the Special Envoy for Somaliland Affairs, which was tasked in 2023 with conducting national consultations on the dialogue with Somaliland.

Abdikarin Guled, the head of the Special Envoy’s Office, visited Galmudug in 2023 as part of nationwide consultation trips, coinciding with the conflict in Las Anod. Guled unequivocally rejected the claim of former Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, who based Somaliland’s secession on colonial borders.

Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh has urged the Somali President to restart talks with the Somaliland administration one year after the 2022 wedding ceremony held in Djibouti.

President Guelleh’s efforts led to the December 2023 agreement between the Somali Federal Government and the Somaliland administration in Djibouti. This agreement recognized the Somaliland administration as an entity independent of the Federal Government.

It revived previous contracts, including “not to politicize humanitarian aid.” President Bihi used this article as justification for signing the MoU with Ethiopia.

The MoU soured relations between Somalia and Ethiopia before the 2024 Ankara Agreement, which obligates the Addis Ababa government to respect Somalia’s territorial integrity and seek legitimate maritime commercial access.

The MoU exposed conflicting principles guiding the Somalia-Somaliland talks. While Mogadishu politicians perceived Somaliland’s representation in federal institutions as a self-serving step, the secessionist administration interpreted it as supportive of its self-determination claim based on colonial borders.

The Federal Government of Somalia has rejected calls to recommence talks with the Somaliland administration.

“The principle guiding any future dialogue must oblige the Somaliland administration to comply with the obligation to respect the territorial integrity and political independence of Somalia,” said a senior advisor to the Somali Federal Government.

Ethiopia’s shifting stance

In a further sign of the changing political landscape, the Ethiopian government reportedly prevented a Somaliland delegation from delivering a speech at a UNESCO event in Dire Dawa.

The event celebrated the recognition of Xeer Ciise, a traditional Somali customary law system, as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Instead, a delegation from the Somali Federal Government was given the platform.

Somaliland, a self-declared independent republic in northwestern Somalia, declared its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Siad Barre regime.

While it has established its own government and institutions, it remains unrecognized internationally. Disputes over sovereignty and autonomy have marked the relationship between Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu.

Previous attempts at dialogue have yielded limited progress, with both sides holding firm to their core positions.

The January 2024 MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia, granting Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s independence, sparked outrage in Mogadishu.

The Somali Federal Government viewed the deal as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, leading to a sharp deterioration in relations with Ethiopia. T