Somalia and Ethiopia tension expands after Somalia has formally rejected Ethiopia naval drill participation.
This escalation comes after a port agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, the self-declared autonomous region in northern Somalia.
At the heart of Somalia and Ethiopia conflict lies a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January 2024, granting landlocked Ethiopia access to the Somaliland port in Hargeisa.
In exchange, Ethiopia pledged to recognize Somaliland’s claimed independence — a move that Somalia strongly opposes and considers a violation of its territorial integrity.
Somalia Reasserts Full Sovereignty Over Somaliland
Although Somaliland operates with its own currency, institutions, and government, it is not recognized internationally as an independent state.
Somalia insists that Somaliland is an inseparable part of its sovereign territory and condemns any external deals that treat Somaliland as a separate nation.
Mogadishu has voiced strong concerns over Ethiopia naval expansion ambitions, warning that such actions pose a serious threat to Somalia’s sovereignty over its land, sea, and airspace.
Somalia Blocks Ethiopia Naval Participation in Regional Exercise
The issue surfaced during the recent East African Community foreign ministers’ meeting in Addis Ababa, where Ethiopia requested to take part in a planned multinational maritime exercise.
However, Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi categorically rejected the request.
“Our sovereignty over our sea, land, and air is non-negotiable.
Ethiopia’s request is both unlawful and unacceptable,” Fiqi declared.
He cautioned that Ethiopia’s involvement in the drills could be interpreted as legitimizing its unauthorized maritime claims.
Somalia Rejects Ethiopia Naval Deployment Under AU Mission
In a separate diplomatic meeting held in Mogadishu, Ethiopia also proposed deploying a naval squadron under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
This proposal was also immediately rejected by Somali authorities.
Under the disputed MoU, Ethiopia would gain control of 20 kilometers of Somaliland’s coastline, where it intends to construct a naval base.
Somalia has warned that any attempt by Ethiopia to establish a military presence in this region without official Somali government approval would be regarded as a direct affront to Somalia’s sovereignty.
Ethiopia Naval Aspirations Violate International Maritime Law
Defense Minister Fiqi stressed that Ethiopia’s aspirations to use Somali waters have no legal foundation and clearly violate international maritime law.
“Ethiopia’s ambitions over Somali waters lack legal precedent and are a clear breach of international conventions,” he said, reaffirming Somalia’s commitment to defending its territorial rights.
Ethiopia Yet to Respond to Somalia’s Rejection
As of the time of publication, Ethiopia has not issued an official response to Somalia’s rejection of its requests regarding naval participation or the Somaliland port agreement.
