The government of Eritrea has expressed concern over the Ankara declaration reached between Ethiopia and Somalia.
Eritrea, an ally of the Somali government formed after the conflict with the Ethiopian government, now harbors significant doubts about the recent agreement reached in Ankara between President Hassan Sheikh and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Diplomat Abdikadir Idris, an advisor on Somali affairs for Eritrea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke to the BBC, expressed strong concerns about the Ankara agreement between Hassan Sheikh and Abiy, describing it as highly dubious and unreliable.
Mr. Idris mentioned that if it turns out to be true that Somalia will grant Ethiopia a maritime corridor, Eritrea will take severe measures, including severing all ties with the Somali government, which would have breached previous agreements and promises to defend against Ethiopia.
“The last agreement made between the governments of Somalia, Eritrea, and Egypt was to defend Somalia against Ethiopia’s ambitions over Somali waters,” said Abdikadir Idris.
This Eritrean government advisor stated that the agreement between President Hassan Sheikh and Abiy came as a surprise and described it as astonishing that Somalia would agree to grant Ethiopia a maritime corridor at this time.
Finally, Abdikadir Idris warned that if it turns out to be true that Somalia is granting Ethiopia a maritime corridor, it would pose a threat to the security of the Horn of Africa. He urged the Somali government leaders to reconsider these ongoing issues.
