Hargeisa, Somalia — Somaliland said that an official agreement was recently signed with Ethiopia and a committee of experts was appointed to complete it. Somaliland's Information Minister Ali Mohamed Hassan who spoke to the BBC said that the deal will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia. The minister denied that high-ranking Ethiopian officials are in Somaliland according to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, but he noted that there are high-ranking Somaliland officials in Addis Ababa, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs D.R. The President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, recently appointed a committee of academics, lawyers, and diplomats led by Amb. Somaliland said that this agreement would cause Ethiopia to recognize it as an independent country, while the Somali government described its independence as being violated.

Source: Ethiopian News February 19, 2024 10:38 UTC