Somalia has expelled Ethiopia’s ambassador from the country and ordered the closure of Ethiopia’s consulates in key cities amid escalating tensions over a port deal dispute in Somaliland.
The Somali government gave Ethiopia’s ambassador 72 hours to leave the country, citing Ethiopia’s interference in Somalia’s internal affairs as a violation of its independence and sovereignty.
The decision comes after a delegation led by Puntland’s finance minister visited Ethiopia and received a warm welcome from Ethiopian officials, including the state minister of foreign affairs.
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Tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia have been on the rise since January when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi.
The dispute centers on a deal in which landlocked Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometers of coastline in Somaliland, specifically around the port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden, for military purposes for a period of 50 years. This agreement has sparked controversy and heightened tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia.
