The United States government said it welcomes the agreement reached by Somalia and Ethiopia to end the regional crisis caused by Addis Ababa’s attempt to get access to the sea.
“The United States welcomes the declaration of December 11 by the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to confirm the nationalism, unity, independence and territorial integrity of each country,” said the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken.
The two countries have been at loggerheads since landlocked Ethiopia reached an agreement in January with Somaliland, which claims to have seceded from Somalia, to lease coastal land from Addis-Ababa port and military base.
But on Wednesday, Turkey, which has been mediating talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, announced that the two sides had reached an agreement to ensure “a reliable, safe and sustainable access to the sea for Ethiopia,” under the independent administration of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, added that the Washington government is waiting for “technical negotiations” that define the sea route to Ethiopia “while respecting the territorial integrity of Somalia.”
The agreement was also welcomed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his role.
About The Author
