Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in an interview with Al Arabiya and Al Hadath channels on Sunday, January 21, affirmed that his country has no intention of going to war with Ethiopia.
Sheikh Mohamud stated, “We have no plans or intentions for war with Ethiopia at the present time, but if things change, we will have a reaction then.”
He considered the memorandum of understanding signed by Ethiopia with the self-declared but internationally unrecognized region of Somaliland as “a breach of international law and the global order.”
He continued, “Ethiopia has informed Somaliland, which is part of Somali territory and not internationally recognized, that it will recognize it in exchange for Somali land.. This can only be described as madness.”
Sheikh Mohamud reminded that “Somalia is a member of the Arab League and has the right to obtain support to defend itself if needed, but so far, there is no need for that.”
He added, “If Ethiopia starts to engage in other crazy actions, Somalia will need support from everywhere.”
Regarding his visit to Egypt, Sheikh Mohamud said, “There are many opportunities available for the Somali national forces in Egypt, and we are now talking with Cairo. There are some officers and other candidates being trained in Egypt.”
The Somali President reiterated that “Ethiopia no longer recognizes Somalia. When you go to a separatist region and make an agreement with it, this means you do not recognize this country.”
He confirmed that his country is “so far” operating “within the framework of international law and the international system,” adding, “We have sent a message to the United Nations Security Council to look into the matter due to its seriousness and its impact on global security.”
He concluded, affirming that “the memorandum of understanding that Ethiopia signed with Somaliland has become a tool for recruiting children and extremists into the Al-Shabaab movement.
