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Mogadishu has reacted angrily after Ethiopian security services tried to block Somali leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his delegation from accessing the venue of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on Saturday.

“The Federal Republic of Somalia strongly condemns the provocative attempt by the Ethiopian government to obstruct the delegation of the Somali President from attending the 2024 African Union Summit in Addis Ababa,” Somalia said in a statement this evening.

“This action breaches all diplomatic and international protocols and, most critically, the established traditions of the African Union,” the statement further read, adding, “This behaviour adds to the growing list of erratic actions by the Ethiopian Government in recent times.”

It all started with President Mohamud being welcomed to Addis Ababa with full state honours.

Mohamud gently walked to the salute dais for the playing of the national anthems of Somalia and Ethiopia.

The Somali leader listened attentively as the Somali national anthem was played to the end.

Interestingly, as the Ethiopian national anthem was being played, Mohamud walked away from the dias.

The move could have infuriated the Ethiopian authorities who later tried to block him from attending the AU Summit.

Tense relations

Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia took a nosedive earlier this year when Addis Ababa signed a secret deal with the neighbouring secessionist Northern part of Somalia known as Somaliland to access the Red Sea.

The deal signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland’s leader, Muse Bihi Abdi, would see Somaliland “lease 20 kms of the Red Sea to Ethiopia” for the next 50 years and also enable Addis Ababa to establish a military base there.

The agreement, which was nullified by the Somali government, allowed land-locked Ethiopia to use Berbera Port, the main port in Somaliland to access a narrow strip of water between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that leads in the north to the Suez Canal and access to Europe.

This investigative media house has learned that as Somali President Mohamud arrived at the AU headquarters, he found Ethiopian security services with orders to block him from accessing the venue.

Mohamud was visibly enraged by the embarrassment.

To Somali officials who spoke to us, the commotion at the entrance of the AU headquarters was not just a humiliation of their president but also risked their leaders’ personal safety.

Nevertheless, Mohamud’s security detail quickly contacted the IGAD Chairperson and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh to engage Ethiopian leaders to allow the Somali leader to attend the summit.

President Guelleh came to Mohamud’s rescue.

In a statement, Somalia warned that, “Given that Ethiopia hosts the African Union headquarters, its leadership and government have an obligation to treat all African leaders equally.”

Somalia further asserted that, “hosting the AU is both an honour and a privilege for Ethiopia; however, if its government fails to uphold this honour and responsibility with the necessary decorum, it may be necessary for the African Union to reevaluate the location of its headquarters.”

“While we denounce Ethiopia’s unwarranted action, we also call upon the AU to urgently conduct a credible and independent investigation to this outrageous conduct in line with the protocols of the union.”

In his address to the AU leader, Mohamud did not spare the Ethiopian leadership, accusing it of trying to grab Somalia lands.

He characterised Ethiopia’s recent actions, specifically the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland, a region within Somalia, to gain access to the sea as “an annexation of another country’s territory”, which he deemed “unconstitutional, illegal, and unacceptable.”

Mohamud flew back home immediately after the Summit.

Regional leadershave since urged Somalia and Ethiopia to resolve their differences amicably.

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Fury as Ethiopia security blocks Somali…