The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, stated on Monday that the country does not oppose Ethiopia having access to its sea.
“We are not engaged in a dispute with Ethiopia regarding sea access. Somalia does not stand in opposition to the sea. Rather, our concern pertains to facilitating Ethiopia’s access to the sea.
“Should Ethiopia express a desire to access the shores of Somalia, we would extend a welcoming stance,” President Hassan Sheikh conveyed during the East African Economic Cooperation Conference in Mogadishu.
“We aspire for Ethiopia to reach the coast of Somalia akin to Uganda’s access to the coast of Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda’s access to the coast of Tanzania, and South Sudan’s reach to the coast of Kenya. Just as Ethiopia reaches the coast of Djibouti and Kenya, we envision extending access to Somalia,” President Hassan Sheikh reiterated, emphasizing a firm stance on these terms.
“We are unwavering in our position and do not condone any additional arrangements. It is imperative to dismiss any notions of deploying naval forces in Somalia or establishing a naval base in the region,” he said.
Ethiopia signed an MOU with the breakaway region of Somaliland on Jan 1 which leases 20km of the sea in return for recognition. Somalia says the MOU infringes on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
