Egypt has threatened to put Somaliland under a naval blockade. The remarks about the naval blockade around Somaliland were made by the Egyptian Foreign Minister in an interview.
Badar Abdelttay the FM, in an interview, said Egypt will impose Somalia’s will over the sovereign territories of Somalia. He added that Egypt can impose a naval blockade around Somaliland in case of implementation of Ethiopia Somaliland memorandum of understanding.
Last month, Somaliland closed an Egyptian cultural center and library in capital Hargeisa. The Egyptian officials were given 72 hours to leave Somaliland. Somaliland made this decision after the delivery of weapons by Egypt to Somalia. In a statement, Somaliland condemned the transfer of weapons, saying that the weapons delivered to Somalia by Egypt could end up in the hands of Al Shabaab and other extremist elements.
Egyptian threat of imposing a naval blockade around Somaliland, in support of the federal government of Somalia, is set to raise alarm bells in Ethiopia and UAE. United Arab Emirates has 51% shares in Somaliland’s Berbera port. The port is the lifeline of Somaliland’s economy. In case of naval blockade, traffic to and from Berbera port could be disrupted.
Ethiopia and Egypt have been in dispute over a dam built by Ethiopia over River Nile. Ethiopia opposes the deployment of Egyptian military in Somalia. The signing of Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU in January this year created regional shockwaves, drawing in Egypt and other countries in a potential regional escalation. The threat of imposition naval blockade around Somaliland could hurt Ethiopian ambition of gaining access to sea through Somaliland.
It seems that Egypt, by supporting Somalia, wants to pressurize Ethiopia into signing a legally binding agreement about Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Ethiopia is not willing to sign any legally binding agreement about dam operations.
Somaliland is in quest of international recognition as a county but it is internationally recognized part of Somalia. Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU of January 2024 can pave the way for the recognition of Somaliland as a country in return for landlocked Ethiopia gaining access to sea through Somaliland.
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