The defense minister of Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland, Abdiqani Mohamoud Ateye, has decided to resign in protest of the recent memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland, calling the agreement with the landlocked country "illegal."
In an interview with Horyaal television, Ateye did not rule out the possibility that Ethiopia's claims could go beyond the port of Berbera and lead to an invasion of Somaliland territory.
The minister also pointed out the lack of consultation on the part of the head of the self-proclaimed state. According to him, the ministers learned about the memorandum through the media.
The memorandum, signed on January 1, grants Ethiopia access to the Red Sea, with Somaliland granting Addis Ababa a 20-kilometer "lease" area to establish a naval base and commercial maritime services.
Unrecognized Somaliland's leadership said Addis Ababa would "formally recognise the Republic of Somaliland" under the deal, but this has not been confirmed by the government in Addis Ababa.
In response, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday signed a law "nullifying" the "illegal" agreement, which gave landlocked Ethiopia long-sought access to the Red Sea through Somalia's separatist northwestern region, in a largely symbolic gesture of his government's displeasure over the port access deal.
Mohamud called the surprise deal an act of "aggression" and a violation of his country's sovereignty, and appealed for international support.
Ethiopia, for its part, said the deal with Somaliland was aimed at giving the landlocked nation access to the Red Sea and helping Africa's second most populous country play an important role in regional peace and security.