No Word on Controversial MoU as Somalia ‘Agrees’ to Grant Ethiopia Sea Access

GOOBJOOG NEWS|ANKARA: Conspicuously missing from the just released communiqué from Ankara on the deal between Somalia and Ethiopia is the fate of the controversial MoU, which became the epicentre of the fierce fallouts between the two countries for a whole year.

Although the communiqué sets the groundwork for a lease agreement between the Federal Government and Ethiopia, the absence of an unequivocal declaration on the fate of the January 1 MoU has become a subject of interest as Somalis react to the new deal.

“They further agreed to closely work together to finalize mutually advantageous commercial arrangements through bilateral agreements, including contract, lease, and similar modalities, which will allow the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to enjoy reliable, secure, and sustainable access to and from the sea, under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” the communique read in part.

Somalia has consistently maintained that Ethiopia should, in principle, withdraw the MoU to allow any meaningful engagement, but Ethiopia has, on the other hand, stood ground. In October last year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described access to the sea as ‘an existential issue for his country.”.

Although the details of the MoU were not made public, the general agreements indicated that Ethiopia would be granted a 20-kilometer stretch of land along the Red Sea in exchange for ‘future recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.’

Notable also from the communiqué is the reference to the role of Ethiopian troops in supporting Somalia’s peace process and their necessity for access to the sea. “Somalia recognizes the sacrifices of Ethiopian soldiers within the African Union Missions,” the communique said, adding, ‘They acknowledged the potentially diverse benefits that could be derived from Ethiopia’s assured access to and from the sea, whilst respecting the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.’

While this clause paves the way for Ethiopia’s navy to the sea through an approved framework, it also potentially assures Ethiopia’s continued military presence in Somalia. Defence Minister Abdulkadir Nur said in October that the government had formally declared that Ethiopia would not form part of the AUSSOM contingent as a result of the ongoing disputes.

Accordingly, Ethiopia was set to withdraw its troops from Somalia by the end of this month when the ATMIS mandate ends to pave way for AUSSOM. Ethiopia first deployed troops to Somalia in 2007 at the onset of Al-Shabaab and pulled out in 2009 before returning in 2013, when they were rehatted to the then African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).