During at a town hall meeting on August 22, 2024, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre reaffirmed Somalia’s commitment to defending its sovereignty in the face of tensions with Ethiopia.
Ethiopia will not be allowed to participate in the future African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) unless it renounces the contentious Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with Somaliland earlier this year, according to Somalia’s prime minister, Hamza Abdi Barre. In exchange for the possible recognition of Somaliland’s independence, Ethiopia is given access to 20 kilometers of the Red Sea coastline under the MoU, which Somalia has denounced as a breach of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ethiopia’s soldiers will not be involved in the next operation if it does not renounce its Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland. The African Union’s mission will not apply if they stay, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre stated during a town hall on Thursday. Tensions between the two countries have increased as a result of Ethiopia’s continued military presence in Somalia, especially after the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) mandate expired. Legal professionals have cautioned that Ethiopia may be breaking international law with its conduct. The Somali government reacted forcefully, ordering the closure of Ethiopian consulates in Puntland and Somaliland and removing Ethiopia’s ambassador, Muqtar Mohamed.
Relations have been further strained in recent months by many unannounced incursions by Ethiopian forces into the Hiiraan region of Somalia. Officials and local residents are concerned about these invasions, which were not coordinated with Somali authorities. They see them as a part of Ethiopia’s plan to keep influence in Somalia in spite of the upcoming withdrawal of ATMIS. In addition, Prime Minister Hamza stated that Ethiopia has been diplomatically outmanoeuvred by the Somali government in terms of its plans to carry out the deal with Somaliland. With relation to the MOU agreement, Ethiopia is currently in a dangerous position. They went to Kenya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and finally our Turkish brothers when we rejected it.
We agreed to these accords with the understanding that we would fight back against any attempts to force our will on others. As you are all aware, the accord was rejected by Somalis all over the nation, from Berbera to Hargeisa, Burao, and Borama. The Prime Minister declared, “Somalis everywhere cannot accept this (the MOU).” Thus far, attempts to settle the dispute have not been effective. Two rounds of negotiations were facilitated this summer by Turkey, which served as a mediator, but neither round resulted in a conclusion. Ethiopia’s reluctance to revoke the Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland continues to be the fundamental problem. September in Turkey is set aside for the third round of negotiations. Due to the ongoing tensions, Somalia has postponed the second phase of the ATMIS troop pullout, which was originally planned to take place in July through September.
The primary justification for the postponement, according to the Somali administration, was security worries about Ethiopia’s conduct. The international world has urged a peaceful settlement to the conflict and stated support for Somalia’s sovereignty. This includes the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League. In the meantime, Somalia is working with Egypt and Djibouti, two of its friends, to make sure that the country’s security needs are adequately met by the new peacekeeping force, AUSSOM, without Ethiopian intervention. Prime Minister Hamza restated Somalia’s position, emphasizing that any agreements or measures that compromise sovereignty will be met with strong opposition. Sovereignty is not negotiable. “Somalia will protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty through all diplomatic and legal means available,” he said.