MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Saturday that “Ethiopia is wandering around the world” to reach out to foreign countries for mediation with Somalia amid an escalating dispute over Addis Ababa’s controversial sea access deal with Somaliland.
The comments came days after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed mockingly accused the Somali leadership of wasting money in foreign trips to lobby support against a memorandum of understanding he had signed in January with the leader of the break-away region of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi. Abiy insisted that Mogadishu was seeking a solution from far and wide instead of engaging directly with Addis Ababa.
In a speech to parliament, Mohamud stressed that his government desires nothing more than peaceful coexistence and cooperation with Somalia’s landlocked neighbor, adding that Addis Ababa’s recent actions and rhetoric do not align with the principles of good neighborliness that he holds dear.
The remarks come days after talks between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa kicked off in Ankara, Turkey, though efforts to reach an agreement to end months-long diplomatic spat failed to make headway.
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