Ethiopian FM on Friday accused Somalia of issuing unwarranted & irresponsible statements.
“Contrary to the baseless accusations of the government of Somalia, Ethiopia has rather been sacrificing in the service of peace and stability of the brotherly people of Somalia for more than three decades. Ethiopia is, thus, dismayed by the unwarranted and irresponsible statements made by senior officials of the Federal Government of Somalia on various occasions attempting to deny the critical role of Ethiopia in helping to rebuild the state of Somalia,” the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry claims that “Ethiopia did not choose to respond to the baseless accusations of the authorities in Somalia. Ethiopia, rather, preferred the path of patience and positive engagement for the common good of our peoples.”
Interestingly, the statement expresses concern at arms proliferation in the Horn of Africa. Last week, weapons shipments escorted by Somalia’s forces were looted by local militias in Galmudug regional state of Somalia. Read more…
“It should be underlined that, Ethiopia is deeply concerned about the proliferation of trafficking of small arms and light weapons in the Horn of Africa. As the region is challenged by ongoing conflicts, unchecked coastal lines, as well as unsecured borders, it is imperative for countries of the region to coordinate their efforts in fighting such crimes,” says the Ethiopian FM.
Unprecedented tensions rose between Ethiopia and Somalia this January when Ethiopia signed a controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland. Landlocked Ethiopia has been making efforts to gain access to sea. Somaliland, internationally recognized part of Somalia, has been struggling to get international recognition.
The MoU signed in January, if implemented, would give Ethiopia access to sea in return for Ethiopia recognizing Somaliland as a country. Somalia rejected this MoU and vowed to stop it at any cost. Since January, Somalia has been accusing Ethiopia of trying to annex Somali territories. Ethiopia and Somalia met in Ankara this month but they could not resolve their bilateral disputes.
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