ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia and the United Kingdom on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) “Enhance Peace and Stability in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia Border”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (MFAE) said it “aims to boost the resilience of communities across the Ethiopia-Kenya-Somali borders to the drivers of violent extremism.”
The agreement was rather done in a low-profile representation as opposed to one that was signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland which was signed by leaders from the two countries.
On the Ethiopian side, Ambassador Jemaludin, Deputy Director General of the Africa Department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed it. On the UK government side, Ambassador Darren Welch, British Ambassador to Ethiopia, signed it “in a ceremony held on the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia,” as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on its social media page.
The border security agreement was signed within the context of a threat from Al-Shabab but Kenya was not a party to this MoU agreement. While the agreement concerns the “Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia Border,” Kenya was not a party to it. However, Kenya signed an agreement with Ethiopia this week. Somalia is not a party to the agreement either.
“The two sides [Ethiopia and the UK] expressed their commitment to working together to reduce the threat posed by Al-Shabaab in the region,” said the news update from the MFAE.
Early this month, at least six Ethiopians were killed along the Ethiopia-Somali border town of Balad Hawo in what appears to be a retaliation measure against the Ethiopia-Somaliland MoU Agreement which was signed on January 1, 2024.
Somalia is outraged by the MoU agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland. It sees Ethiopia’s action as a violation of the sovereignty of Somalia for it considers Somaliland as its part despite 33 years of de facto statehood status.
After mobilizing Egypt and members of the Arab League for several weeks in opposition to the agreement, Somalia on Thursday signed a Maritime Defense Pact with Turkey – which has the biggest military base in Somalia. Murat Aslan, a Turkish scholar from Hasan Kalyoncu University, noted that the tension between Ethiopia and Somalia justifies Turkey’s defense pact with Somalia.
