An urgent meeting was held on Wednesday by the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League countries, where Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre delivered a speech via video conference. The meeting discussed Ethiopia’s illegitimate claims on parts of the territory of the Republic of Somalia, resulting in the adoption of Resolution Number 8988. The Ministers agreed to strengthen support for the security, stability, unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, including its land, sea, and airspace.
They noted that Somalia has the right to legally defend its territory, as per Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and the Arab League Charter, supporting any decision it makes in this regard. The Council expressed full support for the Somali government’s stance on the false agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland on 1/1/2024, which they declared null and void, unacceptable, and a blatant violation of international law principles, as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The Council stated its support for Somalia to bring a case against Ethiopia to the International Court of Justice, based on the complete rejection of this false agreement. The resolutions from the meeting also reaffirmed that Somaliland is an integral part of the territory of the Republic of Somalia, emphasizing the need to preserve its territorial sovereignty in accordance with the Arab League Charter and its principles, and the United Nations Charter.
The Council highlighted the dangers posed by Ethiopia’s violation, which undermines the stability of the region, assigning the Arab ambassadors in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Brussels, Addis Ababa, Washington, London, Paris, Beijing, and Mexico the task of communicating this decision to the Foreign Ministries of their respective host countries.
Finally, the ministers requested the Secretary-General of the Arab League to form a ministerial committee to follow up on the implementation of these decisions, in order to counter Ethiopia’s illegitimate ambitions on parts of the territory of the Republic of Somalia.