Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Somalia’s Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, Ilyas Ali Hassan, has reiterated the Somali government’s firm stance on Ethiopia, emphasizing that Somalia’s position regarding Ethiopia’s actions remains unchanged. In a statement shared via his official Twitter account, Ambassador Ilyas underscored that Somalia would not alter its position on Ethiopia’s violation of Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity.
Ambassador Ilyas’s statement comes in response to growing regional mediation efforts following reports of new peace initiatives led by Uganda and Kenya. He stressed that Somalia welcomes the efforts of regional leaders to maintain peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. However, he made it clear that Somalia’s position remains firm: If the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland on January 1, 2024, is not revoked, Somalia will not engage in dialogue with Ethiopia.
He further criticized Ethiopia for its lack of trust in previous discussions, stating that all attempts to resolve the issue had been futile due to Ethiopia’s continued disregard for Somalia’s sovereignty. “Our position is clear. Ethiopia must respect the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia, and until the MoU is revoked, no meaningful dialogue can take place,” the Ambassador said.
The Ambassador’s remarks came after news emerged of mediation efforts led by the leaders of Uganda and Kenya, with Kenyan President William Ruto reiterating Kenya’s commitment to facilitating dialogue between Somalia and Ethiopia. President Ruto emphasized that a stable Somalia is critical to the overall security of the region and to boosting investor confidence in East Africa.
Somalia’s government has consistently insisted that dialogue with Ethiopia is conditional on the revocation of the MoU with Somaliland, a move that has strained relations between the two nations. Previous attempts to mediate, including efforts by Turkey, have failed, with both sides accusing each other of not taking the talks seriously.
As the new mediation efforts take shape, it remains unclear whether Somalia’s condition for dialogue — the revocation of the MoU — will be accepted or respected by Ethiopia. The outcome of these discussions could have significant implications for the future of Somalia-Ethiopia relations and regional stability.
