Somalia has resorted to expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and shutting down two Ethiopian consulates within its territory, summoning its ambassador from Addis Ababa, amidst a dispute over Ethiopia’s plan — backed by the UAE — to build a naval base in the separatist region of Somaliland.

This expulsion highlights escalating diplomatic tensions in the region following Ethiopia’s non-coastal port agreement with the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, announced unilaterally earlier this year.

Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Nebiyu Tedla, stated that Ethiopia has no information about this matter, which was officially announced for the first time by the office of the Somali Prime Minister.

The Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement carried by Reuters, said, “This follows the actions of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that violate Somalia’s sovereignty and internal affairs.”

The Somali government gave the Ethiopian ambassador 72 hours to leave the country, ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and the semi-autonomous Puntland region.

Senior officials from Somaliland and Puntland, which are engaged in another constitutional dispute with Mogadishu, stated that the decrees will not be implemented in their territories.

Rodaa El-Misri, Deputy Foreign Minister of Somaliland, told Reuters in a private message, “The embassy will remain open regardless of what Mogadishu says. Somaliland is an independent, sovereign state.”

Mahmoud Aideed Dirir, Minister of Information in Puntland, told Voice of America Somali service that “Somalia’s decision will not succeed. It cannot close the consulates in Puntland and Somaliland.”

Naval Base

Somali officials stated that these actions are linked to a dispute over a memorandum of understanding signed by Ethiopia, a landlocked country, on January 1st to lease a 20-kilometer coastal strip in Somaliland, a region claiming independence and enjoying de facto autonomy since 1991.

Ethiopia stated its intention to establish a naval base there and offered potential recognition to Somaliland in return, sparking defiant reactions from Somalia and concerns that the agreement could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously described the port deal as illegal, stating in February that his country “will defend itself” if Ethiopia proceeds with the deal.

Tensions between Mogadishu and Puntland also escalated over the weekend when the Puntland State Council announced its withdrawal from the country’s federal system and would govern itself independently in a dispute over constitutional changes.

Somalia’s move to expel the ambassador and close consulates raises concerns about the fate of 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia over 30 years ago, but has not been recognized by the African Union or the United Nations as an independent state.

Earlier this week, Ethiopian delegates met with officials from the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland, which has difficult relations with the central government.

Accusations Against Abu Dhabi’s Role in Dubious Agreement

In January last year, accusations were leveled against Abu Dhabi for playing a role in a controversial agreement between Ethiopia and “Somaliland,” an agreement that angered the Somali government and most countries in the Horn of Africa and the Arab world, especially Egypt.

Abu Dhabi presents itself as an emerging regional power, and the need to access the Somali coast serves this strategy, which is considered part of a regional competition involving Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, both of which preceded Abu Dhabi in reaching out to Mogadishu.

Many Africans and Western observers view Abu Dhabi’s presence in Somalia as detrimental, as while Abu Dhabi has a strong overall presence in the Horn of Africa, it has not enjoyed positive relations with Mogadishu.

Abu Dhabi is cementing Somali division by supporting separatists and maintaining a state of security chaos, with most northern areas under the control of al-Shabab (Al-Qaeda) or clan militias, while Mogadishu struggles to resolve issues with other regions to protect the sovereignty and unity of the country.