Somalia Rejects AU Mediation on Row with Ethiopia, Demands Apology and Cancellation of MoU
GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia has dismissed calls by the African Union Peace and Security Council for dialogue with Ethiopia over the recent signing of an MoU with the break-away Somaliland, which has sparked a fierce diplomatic row.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it would not be a party to mediation; it did not violate any principles of international law, and instead, it was itself violated by Ethiopia when it signed the MoU with Somaliland.
“For that reason, there is no space for mediation unless Ethiopia retracts its illegal MoU and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia,’ the statement read in part.
The reaction follows the call by the AU Peace and Security Council on Wednesday for the two countries to ‘exercise restraint, de-escalate and engage in meaningful dialogue towards finding a peaceful resolution of the matter, in the spirit of African solutions to African problems.’
The Council also called on the AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki to dispatch the AU Hugh Representative for the Horn of Africa and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to foster dialogue between the two countries and provide regular updates to the Council.’
Meanwhile, the regional body, IGAD is deliberating on the stalemate today in Kampala, Uganda, during the 42nd Extraordinary Summit of Heads, States, and Governments. Ethiopia, which had announced it will not be attending has since said it will send a representative.