The Ethiopian government has apologized for not participating in the IGAD summit meeting and the proposed meeting between President Hassan Sheikh of Somalia and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which was rejected by President Hassan Sheikh before the summit.
The Ethiopian government excused itself from participating in the IGAD summit, scheduled to open tomorrow in Uganda. The summit, called by the President of Djibouti, who is also the chairman of the IGAD regional body, was intended to discuss Ethiopia’s unjust claims and Somalia’s response.
Ethiopia, hesitant to attend the summit, sent a letter to IGAD claiming that its schedule for the days of the meeting was fully booked, making it impossible to participate at this time.
Insider sources suggest that Ethiopia’s decision came after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declined a personal meeting request from Abiy Ahmed, relayed through Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. President Hassan refused the private meeting, believing that Somalia should present its case in a public forum, while Ethiopia is perceived as not having a valid argument to bring to the table, given its significant violation of Somalia’s unity and sovereignty.
To date, the Ethiopian Prime Minister has avoided publicly addressing the direct aggression against Somali waters and the false agreement with Somaliland in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia’s refusal to publicly acknowledge the agreement reached with Muse Bihi earlier this month indicates its political discomfort. In contrast, Somalia seeks to highlight on international platforms the unacceptable nature of this violation and its potential consequences.
The scheduled summit on the 18th of this month comes at a time when the Somali government has diplomatically outmaneuvered Ethiopia, warning the world’s most influential countries about Ethiopia’s unjust ambitions in Somali waters.
Regardless, Ethiopia currently faces diplomatic embarrassment, forcing it to avoid regional and international forums