Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud stated late yesterday that he signed a law canceling the agreement between the secessionist Somaliland region and Ethiopia, which granted Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in exchange for recognizing Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, rejected the agreement made earlier this year that would allow landlocked Ethiopia to lease 20 kilometers around the Port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden with access to the Red Sea for maritime and commercial purposes for 50 years. In return, Ethiopia would become the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
The Somali president wrote on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, late yesterday, “This evening, I signed a law abolishing the illegal memorandum of understanding between the Ethiopian government and Somaliland.” He added, “This law is evidence of our commitment to uphold our unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in accordance with international law.”
The Somali president did not specify what the new law states or when it was passed by parliament. There was no immediate comment from Somaliland or Ethiopian officials. In October, Abiy Ahmed stated that Ethiopia’s existence is "linked to the Red Sea," adding that "if we (the Horn of Africa countries) intend to live together in peace, we must find a way to share mutually with each other in a balanced manner." His national security advisor mentioned that Ethiopia would offer Somaliland an unspecified stake in Ethiopian Airlines in exchange for granting access to the Red Sea.
