Somalia leader warns he will fight against Ethiopia Red Sea plan

President Hassan Sheik Mohamud of Somalia warned its neighbor Ethiopia he would take “all necessary measures” to defend his country should it make strides toward securing direct passage to the Red Sea via Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia.

Speaking shortly after he officially invalidated Ethiopia’s agreement with Somaliland, Mohamud called on Somali civilians both abroad and domestically to defend the nation against any incursion.

“It is essential that all Somalis living as far as Minnesota, Jijiga in Ethiopia, Nairobi, and Somalis living within the country defend your country equally since that is the only thing that will unite us,” he told parliamentarians at a dinner on Sunday before flying out to hold talks with President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea on Monday.

“To the people of Ethiopia, you will not achieve your dream in Somalia. It is not possible and it will not occur. You will not be able to grab a portion of the independent Somali territory, and we will take all necessary measures to defend it,” Mohamud said, adding that Somalia is seeking assistance from unspecified foreign actors to defend itself.

Thousands protested against the maritime deal in Somalia’s Awdal region, while Somalilanders rallied in favor of it in the city of Burao.

The memorandum of understanding, signed on Jan. 1, would allow Ethiopia to lease a sea corridor from Somaliland for 50 years. Ethiopia could establish a military base and commercial facilities there. In exchange, Somaliland would get an unspecified share of Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s largest carrier. 

While President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland said Ethiopia will officially recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, Addis Ababa has said that issue is still being assessed.

Somaliland unilaterally declared independence in 1991 from Somalia after the eruption of a civil war. Since then, it’s been pushing for international recognition that would allow it to source funding and aid. The deal with Ethiopia would allow it to achieve that.