Foreign Minister Ali Omar argues that Mogadishu will never accept the Ethiopia-Somaliland pact

Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs stated on Friday that while the country will never accept Ethiopia’s desire to establish a naval base in its breakaway territory of Somaliland, it might consider providing Ethiopia commercial port access if addressed bilaterally.

Landlocked Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland to lease 20 kilometers of its coastline in exchange for the region’s recognition as an independent state, which set up a diplomatic spat with Mogadishu in January.

Despite having effective autonomy since 1991, Somaliland is still considered part of Somalia, hence the contract was deemed unlawful by Somalia.

Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar told Reuters that his country “will never accept (a) naval base… Somalia is ready for commercial access in accordance with the international law of the sea.”