New episode of tensions between the two neighbors in the Horn of Africa. On Thursday April 4, Somalia ordered the expulsion of the Ethiopian ambassador and the closure of two consulates in this country, which it accuses of "interfering in (its) internal affairs".

In a press release, the Somali government announced that it had decided to close Ethiopian representations and asked its Ministry of Foreign Affairs "to inform the ambassador of the Ethiopian government in the Federal Republic of Somalia to return to his country for consultations."

This departure must take place “within 72 hours”, specified the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Omar Ali, in a message on X.

The government also orders that Ethiopian representations in the regions of Puntland and Somaliland close "within two weeks" and that their Ethiopian staff leave the country "within a week".

The Somali executive explains that it made this decision "after realizing that the Ethiopian government is openly interfering in Somalia's internal affairs and violating Somalia's sovereignty."

This announcement comes the day after the reception at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a delegation from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, which announced on Sunday that it no longer recognized "the institutions of the federal state" after the Somali parliament adopted the transition to a presidential regime.

Agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland

Historically stormy relations between the two countries have been strained since the announcement, on January 1, of the signing of a "memorandum of understanding" between Addis Ababa and the separatist Somali region of Somaliland providing for the lease for 50 years to the Ethiopia's 20 km of Somaliland coastline.

Mogadishu denounced an “illegal” agreement, a “violation of its sovereignty” equivalent to “aggression”.

Read also Ethiopia-Somaliland Agreement: Somalia assures that it will defend its territory “by all means”

Somaliland authorities said that in exchange for this access to the sea, Ethiopia would become the first state to officially recognize them, something no country has done since this small territory of 4.5 million people inhabitants unilaterally proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991.

The Ethiopian government has so far contented itself with asserting that it would "carry out an in-depth assessment with a view to taking a position regarding Somaliland's efforts to obtain recognition."

The renewed tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, in a region plagued by chronic instability, has aroused the concern of many countries and international organizations (United States, China, European Union, African Union, Arab League. ..) who called for respect for Somali sovereignty.

With AFP

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