UN Security Council sets to hold emergency meeting on Somalia-Ethiopia tensions

The United Nations Security Council is set to convene in response to escalating tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, sparked by a contentious port deal with the Republic of Somaliland.

As reported by Somali state TV, SNTV, the Monday meeting is scheduled to “address concerning events in the Horn of Africa.”

The dispute originated from Ethiopia’s recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland earlier this month.

The agreement, allowing landlocked Ethiopia access to a seaport for both military and commercial purposes, triggered a vehement response from Somalia.

Somalia, maintaining that Somaliland is an integral part of its territory, promptly rejected the deal and accused Ethiopia of violating its sovereignty.

The UN Security Council session is anticipated to delve into the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding the disagreement.

Tension is rising between Somalia and its breakaway Somaliland region after it signed a contested pact with Ethiopia.

The pact would provide landlocked Ethiopia, which depends primarily on neighbouring Djibouti for its marine trade, a 50-year lease for its navy, and commercial uses of the port of Berbera, which is located on the Gulf of Aden with access to the Red Sea, covering 20 kilometres.

In return, Somaliland’s leader declared that Ethiopia would be the first country to acknowledge Somaliland as an independent nation.