Friday November 1, 2024
Faysal Ali Warabe, Chairman of Somaliland's UCID Party, speaks during an interview with BBC Somali, emphasizing the significance of the recent Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement and its implications for the region.
Hargeisa (HOL) — Faysal Ali Warabe, Chairman of the UCID Party in Somaliland, has praised the recent agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, calling it a transformative development for the region. In an interview with BBC Somali, Warabe stressed the deep-rooted connections between the two territories and highlighted the economic importance of their relationship.
"This agreement with Ethiopia is a gift from God. We have 365 villages within Ethiopia, and 60% of the revenue entering Ethiopia passes through Wajaale. Our ties are interwoven, and we are now working to establish the Hawd region as an independent administrative zone," Warabe said.
Warabe pointed out that the relationship between Ethiopia and Somaliland, once fraught with tension, changed in the early 1980s when Ethiopia provided strategic support to the Somali National Movement (SNM). He added that the Somali-inhabited fifth region of Ethiopia, previously at the center of secessionist aspirations, is now more developed than other Somali territories. "There is no longer a reason for conflict over this region," he added.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has also expressed interest in securing access to the sea, a longstanding aspiration for the landlocked nation, which lost its coastline after Eritrea's independence in 1993. Abiy said the recent agreement with Somaliland, which grants Ethiopia a 50-year lease on a coastal stretch, is purely a "development agreement" intended to address Ethiopia's economic and logistical needs. However, this strategic ambition has deepened tensions with the Somali government, which deems the deal "illegal" and violates its sovereignty. In response, Somalia expelled Ethiopia's ambassador in April. It declared that Ethiopian forces would be excluded from the new African Union peacekeeping mission against Al-Shabaab, set to commence on January 1.
These diplomatic strains have raised broader regional concerns, particularly as Somalia has strengthened military ties with Egypt—a known rival of Ethiopia due to disputes over Nile water — and Eritrea.
Meanwhile, President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland told BBC Somali that the agreement would progress despite pressure from the Somali government and the international community. "We are committed to implementing this agreement," President Bihi stated, signalling that his administration remains steadfast in advancing cooperation with Ethiopia.