The third meeting of the Arab League's ministerial group, tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Arab League's decision to support the Federal Republic of Somalia in its defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, has reaffirmed that the region of Somaliland is an integral part of Somalia, stressing that this decision is based on the principles of the charters of the Arab League and the United Nations.

According to the Middle East News Agency, the ministerial group, which convened on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 162nd session of the Arab League at the foreign ministers' level, issued a statement underscoring that "any arrangements regarding this region should stem from political dialogue among the Somali people themselves."

Somalia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ahmed Malim Fiqi expressed that "Somalia considers the memorandum of understanding between Somaliland and Ethiopia to be null, void, and unacceptable."

Fiqi described the MoU as a blatant violation of international law, threatening Somalia's sovereignty, territorial unity, and regional peace.

The ministerial group also reaffirmed full Arab solidarity with Somalia, rejecting the memorandum and any legal, political, commercial, or military consequences that may arise from it.

In its statement, the group stressed "the necessity for the Arab League to participate in any Somali, Arab, or African efforts to defend Somalia's sovereignty against the memorandum and support national reconciliation efforts to preserve the country's unity and territorial integrity."

The fourth meeting of the ministerial group is scheduled to take place in March 2025, on the sidelines of the next Arab League session, to coordinate further Arab actions in support of Somalia's demands.

Somalia denounces deal

The government in Mogadishu has denounced the Somaliland deal with Ethiopia as an attack on its sovereignty and vowed to thwart it by any means necessary, expelling Ethiopia's ambassador and recalling its own.

Ethiopia, a landlocked nation, asserts its need for access to the sea, while Mogadishu maintains that Somaliland—which lacks international recognition—remains a part of Somalia.

Egypt, which has been in a long-standing dispute with Ethiopia over the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile River, has also condemned the Somaliland agreement.

Earlier this month, Cairo signed a security pact with Mogadishu and has offered to deploy troops as part of a new peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Somalia has already threatened to expel Ethiopia's up to 10,000 troops, who are there as part of a peacekeeping operation and under bilateral agreements to combat the al-Shabab terrorist group, if the pact is not rescinded.

Two diplomats and a senior Somali official told Reuters that two Egyptian planes landed in Mogadishu Tuesday, carrying weapons and ammunition.

Egypt's offer to contribute troops to a new peacekeeping mission in Somalia, set to launch next year, was disclosed in an African Union communique in August. Cairo has yet to make any public comments on the matter.

Addis Ababa's Foreign Affairs Ministry states that the country "cannot stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilize the region," emphasizing Ethiopia's longstanding efforts to promote peace and security in Somalia and the broader region, including engaging in discussions to resolve disputes with Somalia.

"Instead of pursuing these efforts for peace, the Government of Somalia is colluding with external actors aiming to destabilize the region," the statement read, without directly naming Egypt or referencing any arms deliveries to Somalia.