We shall not discuss access to sea with Ethiopia, says Somalia President

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has ruled out discussions with Ethiopia over access to sea, despite the ongoing dialogue which is mediated by Turkey, a friendly nation with the federal government of Somalia.

On Saturday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia will not discuss sea access until Ethiopia affirms Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Somalia termed the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia over access to the Red Sea as null and void.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Mohamud alleged Ethiopia “refused to recognise that Somalia is an independent neighbouring country”, adding this was the reason Ankara talks collapsed. Delegations by the two countries have met twice.

Ethiopia did not immediately respond. Ethiopia Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Nebiyu Tedla recently said that Ethiopia is “committed to advance its legal and peaceful quest to access to the sea.” Ethiopia is a landlocked country and has been using the ports of Djibouti, Lamu and the Port of Sudan for exports and imports.

On domestic politics, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud insisted that businesses should pay the 5% VAT imposed by the government. He also said the government will go ahead in efforts to prepare popular elections in the country.

Ethiopia is at loggerheads with Somalia over the agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland, which if implemented, will give Ethiopia 20 kilometres of the Red Sea for the construction of a naval base and port.

The government of Somalia has approached Turkey and Egypt for support on the protection of territorial integrity and sovereignty with the two countries pledging to dispatch naval forces. Turkey has already approved the deployment of forces to Somalia's coastline.

GAROWE ONLINE