Nairobi (AFP) – Ethiopia insisted on Wednesday that its controversial deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland broke no laws after Somalia accused its neighbour of a blatant attack on its sovereignty. 'Our sea is not for sale'The wide-ranging memorandum of understanding gives Ethiopia access to commercial maritime services and a military base, with Somaliland leasing it 20 kilometres (12 miles) of coastline for 50 years. The demonstrators chanted slogans against Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who signed deal. 'No broken trust'Somaliland's Bihi had said in a statement that in exchange for the sea access, Ethiopia would "formally recognise" Somaliland. The deal was signed just days after Somalia and Somaliland agreed to resume dialogue after decades of stalemate.

Source: Ethiopian News January 03, 2024 16:38 UTC