On Saturday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Ethiopian security forces of attempting to obstruct his access to the African Union summit, describing it as a “provocative” act.
Mohamud’s allegations arise amidst a dispute between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu over an agreement between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland, granting the landlocked country coveted access to the sea.
He characterized Ethiopia’s actions since the January memorandum of understanding and his treatment on Saturday as a “provocation.”
When addressing reporters in Addis Ababa after eventually gaining entry to the meeting venue, Mohamud revealed, “This morning when I prepared myself to come and attend the closed session of the summit, the Ethiopian security blocked my way.”
He recounted attempting entry with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, but they too were denied access to the AU headquarters by a soldier with a gun standing in front of them.
In response, Somalia’s foreign ministry released a statement condemning 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” and urged the AU to conduct an investigation.