Egypt – Somali President Hussein Sheikh Mahmoud discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region on Thursday.
This came during a phone call between the Somali President and his Egyptian counterpart, according to the official Somali News Agency.
The agency said that the two presidents welcomed “the momentum witnessed in cooperation between the two countries in the recent period, and their keenness to expand its horizons to include various fields, in line with the fraternal ties between the two peoples.”
They also discussed “the situation in the Horn of Africa region” and stressed “their keenness to ensure the security and stability of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region, which will have a positive impact on the Horn of Africa and its peoples.”
The two presidents stressed “the rejection of any unilateral measures that would harm the stability of the region, and the necessity for all countries of the region to commit to frameworks of cooperation, in order to achieve stability and development.”
In turn, Al-Sisi stressed, in this regard, “Egypt’s keenness on the security, stability and sovereignty of Somalia over its lands, and its support for it in facing various security and development challenges,” according to the same source.
The Horn of Africa is a strategic and vital region for international trade via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and includes Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia, and is witnessing numerous conflicts and disputes, most notably the recent escalation between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Last January, the Somali Foreign Ministry announced that there was “no room for mediation” in the dispute with Ethiopia, unless Addis Ababa withdrew from the “illegal agreement” it had concluded with the breakaway region of “Somaliland,” which provides it with a sea outlet.
The Somali confirmation came following tensions erupted between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa, following the latter signed a memorandum of understanding with “Somaliland”, paving the way for the construction of an Ethiopian military base and the leasing of the port of Berbera on the Red Sea for 50 years.
The Arab League and a large number of its members, including Egypt, announced their rejection of the agreement and their support for Somalia’s sovereignty over its territory.
Somaliland, which has not enjoyed official recognition since it declared its secession from Somalia in 1991, acts as an independent entity administratively, politically and security-wise, with the central government unable to extend its control over the region, or its leadership able to wrest independence.
Ethiopia is considered a “landlocked” country, as it has no coasts or beaches since Eritrea, which overlooks the Red Sea, officially seceded from it in 1993.
Anatolia
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2024-07-06 01:26:57
