The Ethiopian-Somaliland Agreement: Navigating International Diplomacy in a Sea of Separatist Movements

In a surprising turn of events on the first day of 2024, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Muse Bihi Abdi, the leader of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This landmark agreement grants Ethiopia more than 12 miles of sea access for its naval forces for the next 50 years, while Ethiopia, in return, pledges to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent nation. However, the implications of this accord stretch far beyond the Horn of Africa, opening a Pandora’s box of international diplomatic challenges.