Egypt’s Former Assistant Foreign Minister, Mona Omar, urged a unified and decisive Arab action in response to Ethiopia’s violations of Arab countries’ sovereignty by signing an illicit MOU with the breakaway Somali land. The MOU poses a threat to the security and stability of Somalia.
Omar also called for an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers to discuss the serious consequences of Ethiopia’s agreement, as well as supporting Somalia. She urged Arab countries to reject Ethiopia’s interference in their internal affairs and to take necessary measures to back Mogadishu before the UN Security Council.
The MOU allows Ethiopia to sieze the “Berbera Port” on the Red Sea coast in exchange for recognizing Somaliland’s future secession from Somalia. It infringes on Somaliland’s sovereignty and jeopardizes Ethiopia’s relations with certain Arab countries, affecting their common interests. Omar urged lobbying Addis Ababa and imposing sanctions if it does not reverse its unilateral actions.
The African affairs expert also cautioned that failure to take a deterrent stance against agreements with “breakaway regions” instead of recognized sovereign states may encourage other countries to follow Ethiopia’s example. This situation would have grave repercussions on regional and international peace and security, especially in a region already burdened by unrest and conflicts, including the Horn of Africa.
Omar further warned that if landlocked Ethiopia utilizes the “Berbera Port” for military operations and to secure access to the sea, tensions and escalation in the region would increase. Given Ethiopia’s strong ties with Israel, she highlighted the potential targeting of Addis Ababa by supporters of the Palestinian cause, further exacerbating threats in the Red Sea area.
Finally, Omar called upon the international community and the UN Security Council to safeguard international peace and security, as they need to take swift action to nullify this unlawful agreement.
