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Friday January 5, 2024
Responding to criticism of its recent port deal with the self-declared republic of Somaliland, the Ethiopian government has cited “a historical and legal mistake” brought about by its brutal 30-year war with Eritrea.
“A civil war that lasted three decades fomented by internal crisis and foreign conspiracies occurred,” the Ethiopia’s Government Communication Service posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“At the end of the civil war and through both a historical and legal mistake, the country has remained landlocked for the past 30 years [after Eritrea’s secession in 1991].
“In its long and medium term as well as recent history, our nation had direct access to the sea.”
The statement was issued in reaction to criticism of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland on Monday, granting Addis Ababa access to the latter’s ports.
In return, Somaliland has said Ethiopia will recognise it as an independent state, although this has not been confirmed by Ethiopia.
The agreement has caused a diplomatic storm, with Somalia denouncing it as a violation of its sovereignty and vowing to challenge it “by any legal means”.
The African Union and US responded to the deal by insisting Somalia’s sovereignty must be respected.
Somaliland seceded from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognised as an independent state.
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