The administration of Banadir region organized a large-scale demonstration in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to protest against the recent maritime agreement between the breakaway region of Somaliland and the Ethiopian government.
Hundreds of people from various districts of the region gathered at Daljirka Dahsoon Square and Koonis Stadium, voicing their opposition to the controversial deal.
The demonstration, which took place at a crucial juncture, underscored the deep-seated dissatisfaction among the people of Mogadishu towards the agreement reached in Addis Ababa.
figures from the Banadir regional administration, including Mogadishu mayor Yusuf Hussein Jimale Madale, as well as federal government dignitaries, including parliamentarians and ministers, lent their support to the protest. Yusuf Madale, speaking about the demonstration and its purpose, emphasized that it was a direct response to what he deemed an inappropriate action taken by Muse Bihi, the President of Somaliland, and Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
“As the governor of Banadir region, I am conveying a message to the Somali people residing in the capital, Mogadishu. This message is a firm rebuttal to the action announced yesterday by Muse Bihi and the Prime Minister, wherein Ethiopia signed an agreement with Somaliland on the Somali coast,” Madale said.
The Mayor of Mogadishu further argued that the agreement constituted a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, accusing Muse Bihi of capitalizing on the conclusion of his term.
“This matter is unworthy of Somalia. We have been closely monitoring Muse Bihi, whose term has come to an end. Instead of working towards elections in the country, he has further divided the people of Somalia. Civil wars have erupted in the regions of Somaliland as a result,” Madale asserted.
The controversial agreement, reached on Monday in Addis Ababa between Ethiopia and Somaliland, involved the recognition of Somaliland as an independent country. Muse Bihi disclosed that, in return, Somaliland would grant Ethiopia a 20-kilometre sea area as a naval base on a lease basis. However, the Addis Ababa Agreement has faced significant criticism for its implications, as it is viewed as jeopardizing Somalia’s national interests, sovereignty, and independence.
As tensions mount and public pressure intensifies, the ramifications of this contentious agreement are likely to reverberate both domestically and across the wider region.
