Politics

Somalia rejects Ethiopia/ Somaliland port deal

Published

12 months ago

January 2, 2024

A deal that allows Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia, to use a major port with access to the Red Sea in exchange for recognition as an independent state was rejected by Somalia on Tuesday.

Somalia maintains that Somaliland is still a part of its territory and asserts that the agreement has no legal standing. To discuss the agreement that Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi, and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, signed on Monday, it also recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia.

Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said in parliament that “no one has the power to give away a piece of Somalia” after an emergency cabinet meeting that said the deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland was “an open interference with Somalia’s sovereignty, freedom, and unity” and “null and void.”

Mohamud also said, “Somaliland, you are the northern regions of Somalia, and Ethiopia has no recognition for you. If Ethiopia claimed it gave you recognition, then it is not a recognition that exists.”

The agreement would give landlocked Ethiopia, which depends primarily on neighbouring Djibouti for its maritime trade, a 50-year lease for its navy and commercial uses around the port of Berbera, which is located on the Gulf of Aden with access to the Red Sea, covering 20 kilometres. The leader of Somaliland agreed to Ethiopia’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent nation in return, making Ethiopia the first to do so.

Somaliland’s interior minister, Mohamed Kahin, responded by telling reporters on Tuesday that Somaliland could never accept Somalia’s stance on the agreement with Ethiopia. Kahin said at a press conference, “We demand an apology from Somalia for its assertion that Somaliland is a part of Somalia.”

In 1991, Somaliland, an autonomous region in Somalia’s north, proclaimed its independence. Although no foreign power recognises Somaliland’s sovereignty, it is self-governing with an independent government, democratic elections, and a distinct history.

Related Topics:Ethiopia Featured Somalia Somaliland

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

5 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

6 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.