MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Eritrea has expressed deep concern over Somalia’s recent agreement with Ethiopia in Turkey, prompting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to undertake his 13th visit to Asmara in less than three years, aiming to mollify President Isaias Afwerki, Garowe Online reported on Thursday.
Mohamud’s visit on Wednesday followed a BBC Somali report, which cited an Eritrean diplomat warning that Asmara would sever ties with Somalia if it proceeds with granting Ethiopia a naval outpost along the Red Sea. The official, identified as Abdulkadir Idris, advisor to Eritrea’s Foreign Minister on Somalia and Africa, criticized the Somalia-Ethiopia accord as “rushed and ambiguous.” read more
While the Somali president’s office has yet to disclose specifics of Mohamud’s visit, it underscores the frequency of his trips to Asmara—roughly every three months since his re-election in May 2022. This regularity highlights the significance of Somalia’s ties with Eritrea and the urgency spurred by Asmara’s concerns over Somalia’s recent alignment with Ethiopia.
In addition to Eritrea’s unease, Egypt also raised concerns following the December 13 agreement, prompting Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi to visit Cairo this week. Fiqi sought to reassure Egyptian officials that Ethiopia would only be granted a commercial outlet to Somalia’s Red Sea, with no military access.
This development follows an October tripartite agreement between Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea aimed at safeguarding Somalia’s waters in the event of an Ethiopian invasion. However, both Asmara and Cairo were reportedly blindsided by Somalia’s sudden shift in aligning with Ethiopia—a move, according to the Eritrean diplomat, that was entirely unanticipated.
