SOMALI MAGAZINE: 1, 2024, Doha, Qatar The Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed their solidarity and unwavering support for the Federal Republic of Somalia’s position on its sovereignty over all of its territories during the just-finished Third Arab Economic and Cooperation Forum in Doha.
The ministers supported Somalia’s position that the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the “Somaliland” area signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” on January 1, 2024, and that document is invalid and undesirable. They declared that the Federal Republic of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the fundamentals of international law, had all been flagrantly violated by this memorandum.
The Forum issued a statement saying, “We reject this memorandum and any legal, political, commercial, or military implications arising from it.” “We implore all nations to denounce and disregard this memorandum.”
The ministers voiced worry that the MoU between Ethiopia and “Somaliland” is an attempt to profit from establishing a new geopolitical reality in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, and the Red Sea region. They saw it as a danger to Arab navigation in those crucial rivers and national security.
The government of Somalia has consistently maintained that “Somaliland,” as it refers to itself, is still a part of its sovereign territory. Somaliland is not recognized as a sovereign state by any nation at this time.
The ministers from the Arab world reiterated their backing for the government of Somalia in its efforts to uphold its sovereignty on land, sea, and airspace in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. They supported Article 51 of the UN Charter, which outlines Somalia’s right to lawfully defend its territory.