Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs Asserts Somalia’s President Lacks Authority to Nullify Somaliland-Ethiopia MOU

As tensions escalate regionally surrounding the Memorandum of Understanding inked earlier this year between leaders of Somaliland and Ethiopia, with a primary focus on providing Ethiopia access to the sea and securing official recognition of Somaliland by Ethiopia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland, Essa Kayd, held a press conference in Addis Ababa.

During the conference, Minister Essa Kayd reaffirmed the commitment of both Somaliland and Ethiopia to the implementation of the MOU, citing the establishment of a joint technical committee by both parties to facilitate its execution.

Stressing that the process entails multiple stages, he highlighted the potential engagement of international legal experts to safeguard Somaliland’s rights and interests within the MOU, expressing optimism that Ethiopia’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland would catalyze similar recognitions from other nations globally.

However, the Minister clarified that Somaliland has yet to determine the precise location for Ethiopia to establish its naval base should the agreement reach finalization, urging the public to refrain from disseminating misinformation on social media.

Furthermore, Minister Essa Kayd accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia of misinforming the international community by suggesting that the MOU could escalate tensions and lead to increased recruitment by the Al-Shabaab group.