Ethiopia appoints envoy to Somaliland amid rising tensions with Egypt
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Ethiopia reacts to rising tensions with Egypt and appoints an ambassador to unrecognized Somaliland.
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Muse Bihi Abdi, president of the unrecognized Somaliland, speaks to The Associated Press, April 3, 2018 (AP)
Ethiopia appointed Saturday an ambassador to the unrecognized self-declared Republic of Somaliland, further escalating tensions with Egypt after the latter deployed military equipment and troops to Somalia, which drew sharp criticism from Ethiopia.
Musa Bihi Abdi, the President of Somaliland, officially received the credentials of the newly appointed Ethiopian ambassador, Teshome Shunde Hamito, marking a deepening of ties between Ethiopia and the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland. This appointment is likely to heighten tensions among the three nations—Egypt, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
In the wake of the ambassador's appointment, President Abdi held an immediate meeting with the Ethiopian envoy to discuss security issues in the Horn of Africa and to explore avenues for future cooperation between the two sides.
Following the meeting, the unrecognized self-declared Somaliland government issued a strongly-worded statement condemning Egypt's military presence in Somalia.
The statement expressed Somaliland's "strong objection to the recent deployment of Egyptian military forces in Somalia," adding that the lack of consideration for the stability and security of Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa region is "deeply concerning."
Egypt on Tuesday sent Somalia its first batch of military aid in four decades, Reuters reported, citing three diplomatic and Somali government sources, in a move that is expected to exacerbate tensions between the two nations and Ethiopia.
Egypt and Somalia have strengthened their ties this year following Ethiopia's signing of a preliminary agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland, which involves leasing coastal land in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland's independence from Somalia.
The government in Mogadishu has denounced the deal as an attack on its sovereignty and vowed to thwart it by any means necessary, expelling Ethiopia's ambassador and recalling its own to Addis Ababa.
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-Shabaab 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 earlier this month. 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.
