On Saturday (Jan. 06), Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a law nullifying the memorandum of understanding signed between the Government of Ethiopia & Somaliland. The symbolic move comes as Ethiopia and a breakaway Somali region announced a deal on January 1st. As part of the deal, Somaliland plans to lease a 20-km stretch of land along its coastline to Ethiopia to establish a naval base, Ethiopian Prime minister Abiy Ahmed said at the signing. Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi said the agreement included a statement that Ethiopia would soon recognize the territory as an independent country. The AU chairperson urged Ethiopia and Soamlia to engage without delay in a negotiation process to settle their differencesEthiopia lost its access to the sea when Eritrea seceded in 1993.
