Somalia’s Federal Government Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Ahmed Moalim Fiqi on Tuesday held a productive and consultative meeting with community leaders and traditional elders drawn from Awdal region in western Somaliland.
During the discussion, various issues of concern were brought to the fore including the ongoing efforts to curtail the agreement reached by Somaliland and Ethiopia over port deal.
Minister thanked the elders and the leaders for the meeting, expressing the Somali government bold stand against the condemned controversial Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the self – declared autonomous region of Somaliland.
He underscored the government undertaking to continue opposing the agreement and using available legal avenues to preempt the implementation of the deal.
The traditional leaders and community elders on their part voiced their reservation on the deal saying it is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity of Somalia.
They urged the Somali Federal government to partner with international community in forestalling the pact saying its implementation will have serious ramifications on the independence and sovereignty of Somalia.
Senator Deqa H. Hussein who is the Chairperson of the Internal Affairs Committee of the Senate and Senator Bilal Idris Abdullahi who were in attendance at the meeting implored the minister to bolster the current opposition to the agreement.
Somalia Federal Government has vehemently dismissed a deal signed in Addis Ababa in the beginning of year between Ethiopia and Somaliland as null and void.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre have both strenuously emphasized the significance of respecting the territorial integrity of Somalia and admonishing Ethiopia against its attempts to infringe on the sea of Somalia saying it will result in adverse consequences.