Ethiopia reads mischief in Egypt plan for Somaliland military base
TUESDAY JULY 28 2020
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (left) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. PHOTOS | FILE | AFP
Summary
- Egypt and Somaliland discussed Cairo’s proposal to set up a military facility in the State.
- Its not yet known if Somaliland has accepted Egypt’s proposal.
- Addis Ababa’s reaction comes days after an Egyptian delegation met Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi in Hargeisa.
By TESFA-ALEM TEKLEMore by this Author
Ethiopia on Monday warned Egypt against establishing any military base that would pose a security threat to the East African region.
The reaction comes days after an Egyptian delegation met Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi in Hargeisa where the two sides discussed Cairo’s proposal to set up a military facility in the self-declared Somalia state.
“As a sovereign country, Egypt has a legitimate right to create relationships with any country in the region,” Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dina Mufti, told The EastAfrican.
However, he added that Egypt’s relationships should not be established at the expense of another country.
“If Egypt’s intent to have a presence in the region would be a threat to a third country, that won’t be appropriate,” he said.
“In this case, we need to have concrete instances of what’s happening…we hope it won’t be at the expense of Ethiopia or any other neighbouring countries because if so, it will be unlawful, against humanity and international peace and security.”