ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia is considering scrapping a plan to recognize Somaliland amid international pressure to defuse regional tensions over the proposal, sources told Bloomberg. In January, landlocked Ethiopia signed an initial deal to become the first nation to recognize Somaliland’s sovereignty in exchange for 50-year access to the Gulf of Aden.
The MOU triggered an uproar in neighboring countries, with Somalia saying it would “defend its territorial integrity” and Egypt and other nations urging caution. During recent talks in Nairobi with Kenyan President William Ruto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his willingness to “step back” from the deal’s most controversial elements to restore relations with Somalia, said the people who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Ethiopian officials privately told foreign officials that the country may be willing to “drop its recognition” of Somaliland, according to five foreign officials who were briefed on #Addis_Abeba’s stance. Ruto also raised the matter in a meeting with Somalian President Hassan Sheikh, who was visiting Kenya at the same time as Abiy.
While Ethiopia hasn’t officially withdrawn from the Somaliland deal, with Abiy keen on coastal access, major donors warn the pact could ignite conflict in an unstable region. Somalia deems it “illegal” and an “annexation.” The #US and #UN caution it may allow al-Shabaab militants to exploit the situation for recruitment.
