Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has told Reuters that the country would “defend itself” if Ethiopia goes ahead with a deal to set up a naval base in Somaliland and recognize it as an independent nation.
“If Ethiopia insists, Somalia will resist and will refuse,” Mohamud told the news agency in an interview in Mogadishu.
“If they come into the country, Somalia will do everything that it can to defend itself.”
In early January, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland allowing Addis Ababa to set up a naval base in the Gulf of Aden.
In exchange, Ethiopia said it would recognize Somaliland’s independence.
Somalia, which counts Somaliland as part of its internationally recognized territory, condemned the agreement, saying it was an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty.
The European and African Unions, the Arab League and Egypt as well as the US and Türkiye have all called for Somalia’s sovereignty to be respected.
