Somalia is ready to consider the issue of supplying weapons to anti-government forces in Ethiopia, and Mogadishu will do so if Addis Ababa continues to implement the agreement reached with the breakaway region of Somaliland, said Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi.
"The option of supporting the rebels fighting in Ethiopia or confronting the Ethiopian regime is open to us if the situation develops in the given direction," Universal Somali TV quoted the minister as saying. "It will be right to cooperate and support the rebels if Ethiopia continues to show hostility and implement the so-called agreement [with the self-proclaimed Somaliland]."
This week, the Somali breakaway region's Foreign Minister Essa Kayd said that "the Somaliland-Ethiopia MoU is finalized, and a formal legal agreement is imminent."
Earlier in August, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie recognized advancements in the negotiations between Ethiopia and Somalia. However, he cautioned against allowing inflammatory remarks and actions to sabotage progress. He condemned alliances with hostile forces as being shortsighted and detrimental and reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to resolving conflicts through peaceful methods.