by Nurat Uthman
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country supports Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea through discussion and respecting international laws and neighboring countries.
Macron spoke on Saturday after a one-day visit to Addis Ababa, where he held bilateral talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
During a news conference, Macron welcomed the Ankara Declaration reached by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Federal Republic of Somalia on Dec. 11.
In the declaration, brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia reaffirmed their respect and commitment to one another’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the principles enshrined in international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.”
The two sides also agreed to start “technical negotiations” by February on details of Ethiopia’s sea access, and that those negotiations would be facilitated by Turkey and be “concluded and signed” within four months.
The breakthrough came after an almost yearlong dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia that began Jan. 1 when Somaliland’s former president, Muse Bihi Abdi, and Ethiopia’s Abiy signed a memorandum of understanding to lease 20 kilometers of Somaliland seafront to Ethiopia for 50 years, in return for diplomatic recognition.
The Somali government rejected the deal and accused Ethiopia of a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Saturday, President Macron expressed his readiness to support Ethiopia’s legitimate quest for sea access.
He said France is interested in playing its part in facilitating ways in which sea access can be achieved responsibly through talks, in a way that recognizes international laws and respects neighboring countries.
Abiy said the two leaders have thoroughly discussed his country’s pursuit of peaceful access to the Red Sea. He said the French president accepted Ethiopia’s request for support in its quest for sea access through international law, peacefully and diplomatically.
“The ties between our two nations continue to be strengthened and I look forward to our discussions during his stay in Ethiopia,” Abiy said of Macron in a post on X.
