A senior adviser to Somalia’s president has said his country is prepared for a war with Ethiopia to prevent recognition of Somaliland’s statehood and the building of a naval base in the breakaway territory, The Guardian reported on Saturday.
On Jan. 1, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland allowing for the construction of a coastal port.
The move has enraged Somalia’s government, which claims Somaliland as part of its territory and declared that the deal is void.
The adviser said: “We are pursuing all diplomatic options and I think Ethiopia will come to its senses, but we are ready for a war if Abiy (Ahmed, Ethiopia’s prime minister) wants a war.”
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned last week to “prepare for the defense of our homeland” as rallies took place in Mogadishu condemning the MoU.
At a summit in Saudi Arabia in November, Ahmed denied seeking sea access via Somaliland in a private conversation with Mohamud, the adviser said, adding that the deal “caught Somalia by surprise.”
Somaliland was a British colony until 1960, uniting with former Italian colony Somalia after five days of independence.
Somaliland broke away in 1991 and today operates as a de facto independent state, with its own monetary system, parliament and foreign embassies. But it has yet to be formally recognized by any country.
Despite enjoying relative stability and prosperity compared to Somalia, Somaliland struggles to attract foreign investment and cannot directly access the international financial system.
The deal with Ethiopia is seen as paving the way for recognition of Somaliland’s statehood, despite the former insisting that the agreement is purely commercial.
Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Essa Kayd said: “Recognition is what we have been fighting for all this time and it is the most important thing we can offer to the people of Somaliland.
“Ethiopia needs sea access and we need recognition, so you can see how these needs can be dealt with.”
Ethiopia, however, said it had only agreed to “make an in-depth assessment towards taking a position regarding the efforts of Somaliland to gain recognition.”
A Western diplomat described the deal as a “memorandum of misunderstanding” in comments to The Guardian, adding: “Ethiopia insists they did not agree to recognise Somaliland.”
Addis Ababa’s move for sea access comes amid its construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which has angered Egypt and Sudan, which say it will reduce their access to Nile water. Mohamud is preparing to travel to Egypt to rally support against the MoU.
Ethiopia and Somalia fought a war in 1977-78 over disputed territory, leading to decades of tensions between the two countries.
In 2006, Ethiopia invaded Somalia to remove Islamist militants from Mogadishu, leading to the Al-Shabaab insurgency.