Somalia will defend itself if Ethiopia seals ‘illegal’ port deal, president saysSomali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his country would “defend itself” if Ethiopia goes ahead with a deal to set up a naval base in the breakaway region of Somaliland and possibly recognise the territory as an independent state. “If Ethiopia insists, Somalia will resist and will refuse,” Mohamud told Reuters on Tuesdayin an interview at the heavily fortified presidential palace in Mogadishu. Analysts and diplomats fear a withdrawal of Ethiopian troops would further destabilise Somalia, where al Shabaab attacks have killed thousands of civilians and soldiers since 2006. Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia in late 2006 to oust an Islamist movement from which al Shabaab originated. Mohamud said his government’s estimates showed al Shabaab had recruited between 6,000 and 8,000 new fighters in January alone.

Source: Ethiopian News February 23, 2024 18:12 UTC