Ethiopia-Somaliland deal makes waves in Horn of Africa - BBC News

The agreement for Somaliland to lease some coastline to Ethiopia has triggered a storm of controversy.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, The deal has caused outrage in SomaliaBy Damian ZaneBBC NewsThe defence minister of the self-declared republic of Somaliland has become the latest casualty of the row over a controversial agreement that is causing ructions in the Horn of Africa.

Abdiqani Mohamoud Ateye resigned saying that cabinet ministers should have been consulted over a deal that Somaliland struck with Ethiopia that could see it leasing part of its coastline to its landlocked neighbour.

Somalia - which considers Somaliland to be part of its territory - reacted angrily to the 1 January deal, calling it an act of aggression.

Both the US and the African Union have backed the territorial integrity of Somalia and urged all parties to cool tensions.

The exact wording of the deal signed by the leaders of Ethiopia and Somaliland has not been made public, which is a problem as there are differing versions of what the two sides agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-67911057?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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