Somali foreign minister says will never accept Ethiopia's 'attempt' to annex territory

ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE - MARCH 1, 2024: Somalia would never accept an attempt to annex a part of its territory, the country's acting minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation said on Friday, commenting on a sea access deal between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland.Ever since Ethiopia struck the deal with Somaliland on Jan. 1, ties between the two neighboring countries have worsened. The agreement is said to give Ethiopia the right to build a port in Somaliland in exchange for recognition.Ali Omar Balad, in an exclusive interview with Anadolu on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday, said they expected building better relations with Ethiopia after years of disputes, but the agreement dashed all hopes."I mean, that is something that we will not accept. And this is something Somali will never accept. Somalia and Ethiopia have enough trouble in the past. I hope we will not go back that state, Somalia will never ever accept such an attempt to, annex part of Somalia. If Ethiopia wants to have a commercial access, we are more than willing," Balad said."If Ethiopia wants to comply with international rules and regulations, there are a number of international regulations that will oversee the way the landlocked countries access to the sea," he added.(Footage by Ahmet Alican Koç /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)