Introduction
Ethiopia under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to wreak havoc into Somalia efforts towards stability. The sentiments by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 4th July 2024 contradicts the earlier speeches where he claimed that Ethiopia needs sea access and they had tried everything including talking to Somalia government. This is contrary to the fact that Ethiopia violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia. Though Ethiopia has the right to be granted access to sea by neighboring countries under UNCLOS provisions, the approach to those countries needs to be with respect and decorum and abiding with international laws. This is something that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has terribly failed to acknowledge in his recent speech as illustrated in this paper.
Contradictory Remarks of Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Under UNCLOS, landlocked states like Ethiopia are provided with the right of access to and from the sea. Article 125 gives Ethiopia the Right of Access to and from the Sea and Freedom of Transit. However, this right has conditions as stipulated under Article 125(1) which clarifies that though landlocked states like Ethiopia are granted the right of access to and from the sea and freedom of transit through the territory of transit states by all means of transport, the terms of transit need to be agreed upon between the states concerned. However, despite the willingness by Somali government to work with Ethiopia under UNCLOS and other international laws, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wants a back door arrangement that would allow him to establish a Naval base in Somalia’s waters.
He claimed in his 4th July speech that the issue of access to the Red Sea can be settled with one hour flight and one discussion with them, but he has not made any efforts to engage with Somalia government directly. On contrary, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is demanding to be allowed by Somali government to have access to red seaport. This is even though they have been granted access to sea by Djibouti and even Kenya which gave them a dry port to conduct its import business. The question remains, why do they want the access to sea through Somalia?
In his 4th July speech, Abiy Ahmed said that Ethiopia has no fight with the Somali government and his country has good intentions for Somalia. However, his actions in the recent past not only sets a bad precedent for African countries but also violates the international laws and sparks tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia. This needs to be condemned and highlighted as political interference by Ethiopia into politics of Somalia by supporting certain factions and leaders to influence the political landscape in Somalia.
In addition, the sentiments in his speech about Somalia wasting money to seek help from other countries is an indication that he does not want the talks being mediated by Turkey. Abiy Ahmed is moving fast to discredit Somalia-Ethiopia talks on port deal that are spearheaded by turkey. This is because he does not want a binding international agreement, but he wants to destabilize Somalia by fueling regional conflicts so that it can be divided in to two countries.
In addition, the Abiy Ahmed’s sentiments in his speech that Ethiopia follows neighbor-centered and friendly foreign policy approach is untrue. This is because Abiy Ahmed remains a polarizing figure in the horn of Africa as he was working with EPRDF regime which was responsible for Ethiopian invasion in Mogadishu which led to killings of innocent Somali people, destruction of civilian infrastructure and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Somalis between 2006 and 2009.
Further, in his speech he claims that Ethiopia is like a big brother and a shield for all these countries and not a force of destruction. However, Abiy Ahmed as a leader of Ethiopia is known to be responsible for fueling Tigray conflicts, violations of human rights and fueled ethnic violence and political instability in Ethiopia. If he could not do good for his own people, this is not a man who could help outsiders like Somalia.
Conclusion
Access to the sea is a right that Ethiopia should enjoy and reap the economic benefits that comes with it. However, this right can only be enjoyed if both Somalia and Ethiopia have a binding agreement that does not violate laws which guarantee territorial integrity and sovereignty. The approach by Ethiopia through prime minister Abiy Ahmed is not only threatening stability of Somalia but also fuels regional tensions. Ethiopia needs to go for a benchmarking and learn how Zambia and Uganda have successfully accessed with no tensions in Tanzania and Kenya, respectively. Ethiopia through its leadership should respect its neighbors and refrain from interfering with their internal matters especially the countries that are on the path toward stability.
Since Ethiopia are the ones that want access to Somalia waters, the prime minister Abiy Ahmed should be the one coming to Somalia instead of suggesting in his speech that Somali government officials should come to Ethiopia for discussions. In addition, instead of demanding for sea access, they should follow the relevant procedures and protocols for them to strike a binding agreement with Somalia. Based on the sentiments and earlier actions of Abiy Ahmed, it is clear that the prime minister of Ethiopia needs help.
Somalia under the leadership of President Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should be commended for standing strong against the actions of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. President Dr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is committed towards protecting Somalia against political interference, maintaining territorial integrity, and adhering to international laws.
