Abiy says there is “no fight” with Mogadishu and stresses that Addis Ababa “is ready for a discussion”
5 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has criticised Somalia’s government for levelling “accusations” internationally against Addis Ababa over its memorandum of understanding with the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland, which has strained bilateral relations, and has called for dialogue to resolve the dispute.
“We have no quarrel with the Somali government,” Abiy said, lamenting that Mogadishu “chose to avoid (Ethiopia) and blame it.” “My advice is not to waste money (…) going from country to country,” he said, according to the Ethiopian newspaper ‘Addis Standard’.
“There is no need to go to other countries to accuse us when it is possible to come to Addis Ababa. We are ready for a discussion,” he said, before insisting that the dispute could be resolved “with a one-hour flight and a discussion.”
In this regard, Abiy stressed that “Ethiopia does not want the disintegration of Somalia” and indicated that Addis Ababa “would not have sacrificed its children” if that were the objective, in reference to the sending of thousands of soldiers to Somali territory to support Mogadishu in its fight against the terrorist group Al Shabaab.
The Ethiopian prime minister also insisted that the authorities want to achieve access to the sea. “It is difficult not to have access to the sea with an economy of this size. It is a matter of national interest,” he argued, before reiterating that Addis Ababa “has no doubt about the unity of Somalia.”
Both countries sent delegations to Turkey this week to address their tensions, after which they agreed to hold a second round of talks on September 2. Just days earlier, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said that Ethiopia has the right to gain access to the sea, although he stressed that this must be determined in line with international law and regulations.
Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have deteriorated following Addis Ababa’s agreement with Somaliland to gain naval and commercial access for a period of 50 years in exchange for Addis Ababa recognising its independence. Somaliland would also get a share of the profits from the operation of Ethiopian Airlines, the Ethiopian flag carrier.
Ethiopia lost direct access to the sea in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence after three decades of conflict. Its main trade route now runs along roads and a railway linking Addis Ababa to a port in Djibouti, one of five coastal neighbours that include Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya.
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