AU Calls for Restraint in Somalia, Ethiopia Row

GOOBJOOG NEWS | ADDIS ABABA: The African Union has appealed to Somalia and Ethiopia to exercise restraint and take steps to de-escalate the current tensions due to the naval deal that has strained diplomatic relations between the two neighboring states.

The AU Peace and Security Council issued a statement after a meeting held on Wednesday to discuss the current situation between Ethiopia and Somalia calling on the two states to “engage in meaningful dialogue towards finding a peaceful resolution to the matter in the spirit of African solutions to African problems.

Further, it encouraged the two countries to refrain from further actions and pronouncements that could negatively impact “the strong bonds of good neighborliness, friendship and solidarity existing between them.”

The council expressed its “deep concern” over the ongoing tension between the two countries and its potential adverse impact on the peace, security and stability of the wider region.

Tensions continue to mount in relations between Ethiopia and Somalia after Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared region of Somalia, signed an agreement earlier this month, allowing Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for its recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.