Ethiopian Ambassador to Somalia, Muktar Mohamed Ware, issued an apology on Sunday following reports of his possible dismissal over remarks he made regarding the country in an interview with Ethiopian local media. Ethiopia signed a Memorandum understanding (MoU) on January 2, 2024 with the government of Somaliland which will grant Ethiopia access to the Gulf of Aden in exchange for Ethiopia’s recognition of Somaliland’s independence from Somalia. The agreement rests on a wide-scope of cooperation including social, economic, political and military fields, and has fueled tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia. The country recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultation as it deemed the move to be a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity and further declared the agreement to be void. Somaliland declared itself as an independent republic in 1991 following the still ongoing civil war in the south of Somalia, which broke out in the 1980s.
