Somalia urged the United Nations and the African Union to condemn the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland, since the document violates Somalia’s sovereignty and threatens the stability of the Horn of Africa, the Somali Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
"The Federal Republic of Somalia firmly rejects the so-called ‘memorandum of understanding’ signed between the Federal Democratic Republic Ethiopia and the Somalia provincial administration of Somaliland on 1 January, 2024. This illegal MOU is a clear violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity … We call upon member states of the African Union, as well as the United Nations to take a principled position on the illegal MOU and denounce Ethiopia’s unwarranted aggression," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also called Ethiopia’s actions "a dangerous breach of international law," adding that the agreement between Addis Ababa and Somaliland threatens security in the Horn of Africa.
At the same time, Somalia remains committed to peaceful relations with countries in the region, the statement read.
The Ethiopian government earlier reiterated that the agreement with Somaliland is aimed at facilitating the landlocked nation's access to the Red Sea and enabling Africa's second most populous country to play a key role in regional peace and security.
In late January, the government said that its MoU with Somaliland is intended to promote regional cooperation and partnership, emphasizing that it does not involve "annexation" or "assumption of sovereignty over the territory of any state."