Somaliland has announced that Ethiopia has upgraded its consulate in Hargeisa to an embassy.
The Minister of self-declared independent Somaliland revealed this significant diplomatic development.
Four months ago, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, signed a memorandum of understanding in Addis Ababa.
This agreement allows Ethiopia to gain ownership of a port, while Somaliland moves towards gaining recognition as an independent country.
This has caused considerable anger and opposition in Somalia, which considers Somaliland a part of its sovereign territory.
A month ago, Somalia demanded that the Ethiopian ambassador leave Mogadishu within 72 hours. Additionally, Somalia ordered the closure of consular offices in Hargeisa and Garowe, giving the staff two weeks to depart Somalia.
Somaliland and Puntland opposed the Somali government’s decision to close these consulates.
Somaliland’s Minister of Information, Culture, and National Guidance, Ali Hassan Mohamed (Ali Marhan), confirmed to BBC Somali that President Muse Bihi Abdi had announced the consulate’s upgrade to an embassy.
“The President said in his speech to his people that the Ethiopian consulate office has grown into a full-service embassy,” the minister reported.
President Muse Bihi Abdi announced the elevation of the Ethiopian Consulate in Hargeisa to an embassy during the celebration of the 33rd anniversary of Somaliland’s independence.
This information was released by Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Despite Somaliland’s announcements, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and the government of Somalia have yet to comment on the matter.
Somalia has requested that the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) discuss and pass a resolution on this agreement.
The United States and the European Union have called for a resolution of the conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia through dialogue. In response to the port deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland, Somalia has signed a military
