Security Blockade Part of Ethiopia’s Grand Scheme to Annex Somalia, President Mohamud Says as Mogadishu Demands ‘Swift Probe’

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia has rebuked Ethiopia and called for swift investigations into an incident in which security personnel in Addis Ababa blocked President Hassan Sheikh from attending the ongoing African Union Summit.

While addressing journalists before cutting short his trip in Ethiopia, President Mohamud termed the actions of the security forces and the Ethiopian government as ‘disrespectful and incompatible.’

The President narrated the incident noting it was part of a calculated move by the Abiy Ahmed administration to annex part of Somalia following the widely rejected MoU with Somaliland in early January.

“This morning when I prepared myself to attend the closing session of the summit, the Ethiopian security blocked my way. They refused me to come out of the hotel,” the President said. He added that he was forced to use the entourage of another President to get out of the hotel.

A similar scenario played out at the entrance of the AU headquarters, the Somali leader said adding that other heads of states and governments were also subjected to similar treatment by the Ethiopia forces.

President Mohamud said the deliberate attempts to harass him were part of an orchestration by the Ethiopian government to annex part of Somalia.

“The actions of Ethiopia as of today are to annex part Somalia and to disrespect the African Union Summit participants like me. The question is, how can Africa as an emerging power when some members of the African Continent are not respecting the very principles the African Union was established?” President Mohamud posed.

He called on the African Union to take swift action. “We would like to loudly say to our African brothers that the behaviour of Ethiopia is not acceptable one that is compatible with the 21st century.’

In a separate statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for investigations into the incident.

“While we denounce Ethiopia’s unwarranted action, we also call upon the AU to urgently conduct a credible and independent investigation to this outrageous conduct in line with the protocols of the union,” the statement read in part.

Somalia has accused Ethiopia of seeking to annex part of its territory following the January 1 MoU with Somaliland in exchange for recognition.

The international community has widely condemned the MoU and called for its revocation.