By The Star Staff Writer
MOGADISHU — Somalia’s decision to call on the international community to lift arms embargo and other economic restrictions on Eritrea has “shocked” the tiny Red sea nation of Djibouti, the staunchest ally of Somalia, saying Mogadishu should have tied the recent diplomatic thaw in Somalia-Eritrea relations to the larger regional security.
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo made the appeal at a gala dinner Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki hosted in his honor on Saturday night in Asmara, the capital. During Farmajo’s visit, Somalia and Eritrea agreed to restore ties after more than a decade of frosty relationship.
“The Government and people of the Republic of Djibouti have been deeply shocked by the statement made by the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” said the Djibouti’s Mogadishu Embassy in a statement on Wednesday.
Djibouti and Eritrea have had, for years, poor relationship that on June 10, 2008 morphed into a full-fledged, bloody border conflict that still remains unresolved. Djibouti sided with Ethiopia in the 1998-2000 war between Addis Ababa and Asmara that killed around 80, 000 people from both sides. Addis Ababa and Asmara have last month reestablished their relations after decades of hostility.
“As a sovereign state, there is no doubt that Somalia has the right to establish diplomatic relations with the countries of the region, however, it’s unacceptable to see our brotherly Somalia supporting Eritrea which (is) occupying part of our territory and still denying having Djiboutian prisoners,” said the Embassy.
Djibouti seems to have been blindsided by Somalia’s abrupt volte-face and unconditional support for Eritrea, which the UN, at one time, accused of supplying weapons to the Qaida-linked militants of al Shabab who’re trying to overthrow the Somali government. Eritrea denies the allegations.
Djibouti continuously backed Somalia’s successive governments since this Horn of Africa nation’s last central government fell apart in 1991. Before the new diplomatic tension, officials from both sides characterized the relationship between Somalia and Djibouti as cordial and brotherly.
Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on the Somali government to “reconsider its position” on the Djibouti-Eritrea border conflict.
He said Somalis should stand by the Djiboutian people and their government because Eritrea still occupies a Djiboutian land and holds Djiboutian prisoners.
“Djiboutians didn’t only support us with might and wealth, but they also sacrificed their lives and blood for us,” he said. “Did our leaders ask themselves how many children have lost their fathers for Somalia? Also, how many wives have lost their loved husbands for Somalia or how many mothers have lost their loved youths while defending Somalia’s existence.”
The Djibouti statement said it would have been “wiser” for President Farmajo to “mention in his statement the border problem between the Republic of Djibouti and Eritrea and to urge that country to seek peaceful solutions” to its ongoing dispute with Djibouti, which “suffered and paid a heavy price of losing” its “brave men and women in the fight between Eritrea and Djibouti.”
After several days of fighting, the United Nations on January 13, 2009 called on Eritrea and Djibouti to withdraw their troops to pre-war positions. While Djibouti’s accepted the call and pulled out its troops, Eritrea refused to budge.
In response, on Dec. 23, 2009, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo, travel restrictions and a freeze on the assets of Asmara’s political and military leaders for providing “support to armed groups undermining peace and reconciliation in Somalia” and for refusing to withdraw forces after clashes with Djibouti in June 2008.
Djibouti accused Somalia of blindly supporting Eritrea and of advocating Asmara’s side of the story, saying that it won’t “tolerate” the Somali position, “while our young men and women are yet here defending Somalia’s peace and stability.”