Somalia expels Ethiopian ambassador, recalls envoy to Addis Ababa
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Somalia gave Ethiopia's envoy 72-hour ultimatum to leave the country and the closure of Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and Puntland.
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Hargeisa city, the largest city in Somaliland, 2016 (Wikimedia commons)
Somali authorities announced on Thursday the expulsion of Ethiopia's ambassador and the recalling of its own ambassador to Addis Ababa.
The reason behind the expulsion and recall is a dispute over Ethiopia's plan to lease the coastline in Somaliland for the construction of a naval base.
Ethiopia denied having prior information about the matter, as it was first announced by Somalia's prime minister's office, Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesperson Nebiyu Tedla said.
"This follows ... the actions of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia which infringe upon Somalia's sovereignty and internal affairs," Somalia's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Somalia gave Ethiopia's envoy a 72-hour ultimatum to leave the country and the closure of Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and Puntland.
Read more: Ethiopia considering withdrawal of Somaliland recognition
The dispute centers on the memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland regarding the lease of coastline.
On January 1, Ethiopia made an offer to grant recognition to Somaliland in exchange for the coastline.
Somalia, which still regards Somaliland as its own territory, has deemed the deal illegal and announced plans to "defend itself" if Ethiopia proceeds with the agreement.
Over the weekend, tensions escalated between Mogadishu and Puntland as the state council of Puntland announced its withdrawal from the country's federal system, opting to govern itself independently due to a dispute over constitutional changes.
Mohamed Abdirahmaan Dhabanacad, a senior trade official in Puntland's administration, stated that the attempt to close the consulate in Garowe, the state's capital, would not yield the desired outcome.
"I can tell you that the decision in Mogadishu will not affect Puntland," he told Reuters in a WhatsApp message.
Somalia's decision to expel the ambassador and close the consulates raises concerns regarding the fate of the 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission aimed at combating militants from al Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda.
Read more: El-Sisi vows to defend Somali sovereignty amid high regional tensions
