The Arab League announced Sunday that it will convene an emergency virtual ministerial meeting to discuss tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia. Zaki said the meeting will address the consequences of an "unlawfully" signed agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland granting Addis Ababa operational privileges in northwest Somalia's Red Sea area. In response, hundreds of people in Somalia protested against Ethiopia, including a number of prominent Somalis. Ethiopia lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted from 1961 to 1991. The separation resulted in Ethiopia losing direct access to the Red Sea and key ports.

Source: Ethiopian News January 15, 2024 08:21 UTC