MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United States again voiced concern about the destabilizing implications of a memorandum of understanding that Ethiopia had signed with Somaliland to a lease a parcel of land along the Red Sea from the break-away region and called for dialogue to deescalate tensions.
Speaking at UN Security Council meeting, US diplomat Robert A Wood said “it is vital this issue does not distract from critical state building challenges that remain in Somalia.”
UN ambassador to Somalia Catriona Laing said it is “disappointing that no significant progress was made at the recent African Union summit” regarding the escalating tensions between Somalia and its landlocked neighbor of Ethiopia.
“This situation must be resolved through constructive dialogue,” she added.
UK and China have also joined calls for respecting Somalia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity as Mogadishu accuses Addis Ababa of attempts to annex parts of the country’s northwestern region of Somaliland.
Somali ambassador to the United Nations Abukar Osman repeated claims that Addis Ababa is still hell-bent on failed annexation attempts obstructing path to good neighborliness and cooperation. He added that Ethiopian authorities attempted to block Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from attending African Union summit this week. Mogadishu had earlier called for the African Union to investigate the incident.
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