NEW YORK – Ethiopia’s government is expressing dismay at Somalia’s accusations, labeling them as baseless and misguided. Ethiopia firmly believes that Somalia’s uproar over the North Western State of Somalia agreement is an unjustified, inappropriate reaction fueled by misinformation.
During his address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Taye Atske dismissed Somalia’s claims. He argued that Somalia is trying to “distract from internal political strife by stoking animosity.”
Atske elaborated that the North Western State of Somalia agreement aligns with Somalia’s current political framework and aims to bolster “regional growth and prosperity.” He highlighted that similar agreements have been made by other nations.
“I categorically reject these groundless accusations against my country,” Ambassador Atske asserted, “Ethiopia’s name cannot be tarnished by these baseless allegations.”
The agreement grants Ethiopia access to 20 kilometers of the Red Sea for a military base and port, in return for acknowledging North Western State of Somalia as an independent state—a condition Somalia strongly opposes.
Adding complexity to the scenario, Egypt recently dispatched its second batch of military aid to Somalia. This shipment included heavy artillery and armored vehicles, part of a defense agreement signed in August 2024, raising alarms in Ethiopia and North Western State of Somalia, reported by Addis Standard.
Atske called on Somalia to prioritize combating terrorism and urged for cooperative efforts to “eradicate terrorist groups disrupting the region.”
Ambassador Taye’s comments followed an address by Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, who accused Ethiopia of “grossly violating” Somalia’s sovereignty.
“Somalia is under significant threat due to Ethiopia’s recent moves, which blatantly breach our territorial integrity,” Prime Minister Barre asserted during the General Assembly.
“Ethiopia’s attempt to annex parts of Somalia under the pretext of securing sea access is illegal and unwarranted,” he added.
On the topic of Egypt, Atske implored external entities to “immediately halt their reckless actions” and called upon the global community to recognize the “imminent dangers” posed by such behaviors.
Reported by AXADLETM
