Ethiopia opened 2024 by setting off a political tsunami, signing a memorandum of understanding to secure its access to the Red Sea with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which is not internationally recognised.
In Mogadishu, a furious federal government, which considers Somaliland an integral part of its territory, blasted Ethiopia’s "aggression" and "blatant assault" and suspended diplomatic relations with Addis Ababa. The African Union urged calm in the ensuing row, and the European Union urged Ethiopia to respect Somalia’s territorial integrity.
