By The Star Staff Writer
MOGADISHU – President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo” for the first time said publicly that Ethiopia and Kenya had directly interfered in the internal affairs of his nation, demanding that neighboring countries treat Somalia as an “equal” partner.
Kenya and Ethiopia supported Somali warlords who toppled the Horn of Africa nation’s last central government in 1991. Since then, Nairobi and Addis Ababa have been interfering in Somalia, turning the once proud nation into a playground for politicians allied with them.
“It’s a fact that in the last 30 years since Somalia’s collapse, Somalia was under intense, naked interference – a direct and indirect one,” President Farmajo said. “It was clear, especially in later years, that neighboring countries, especially Ethiopia, was directly interfering in Somali politics.”
The breakthrough came, he said, when he last year met with Ethiopia’s former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and demanded that Addis Ababa “stop the naked interference in Somalia and that we interact as two neighboring countries and work on economic and political cooperation.”
Hailemariam said at the time that Ethiopia respected Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We’re very much clear about it. We ourselves are a federal government. Myself, I will not allow any country to directly involve with my regional governments without my consent. So I think the same applies to the Somali nation,” said Hailemariam last year at a joint press conference with President Farmajo.
President Farmajo’s statement was the first public remark since his return from a visit to Ethiopia last week. During his trip, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea “agreed to consolidate their mutual solidarity and support in addressing challenges that they face individually and collectively.”
In their Nov. 10 joint statement, the three countries also “stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Somalia as well as their firm support for the Somali people and the federal government of Somalia and all its institutions.”
Many Somalis are, however, worried that President Farmajo is preparing the country for an arrangement that could eventually merge Mogadishu with Addis Ababa and Asmara in a confederate system.
Rumors also swirled that President Farmajo had asked for thousands of troops from Eritrea and Ethiopia to help his fragile administration tame the rogue regional administrators who have been accused of trying to illegally create semi-autonomous entities that are beholden to foreign countries.
Any attempt to dilute Somalia’s independence or merge it with Ethiopia and Eritrea is certain to spark a public outcry in the Horn of Africa nation whose citizens are unwilling to cede an inch of their territory. Moreover, Ethiopians share no cultural bonds with Somalis and are known for their expansionist tendencies toward Somalia since the 19th century, when British colonialists handed over a Somali region to Ethiopia, a decision Somalis always resisted.
President Farmajo’s Wednesday speech has also raised more questions about the type of “political cooperation” he wanted Somalia to have with Ethiopia, especially at a time when Somalia is not as relatively stable as Ethiopia.
“What we discussed was how the two countries can benefit from one another, say, on economic integration, political affairs themselves and security between the two countries, as we’re neighboring countries. He (Ethiopian Prime Minister) truly welcomed them very much,” President Farmajo said in his address aired on the state-run TV.
Farmajo argued that Somalis would benefit more from any deal with neighboring countries, as Somalia’s geographical location, coastlines and “active” people could help them take advantage of any economic integration with neighboring countries.
“I believe that the economic cooperation is beneficial to us, as our economists, traders are truly ahead of other neighboring countries,” he said.
President Farmajo said the three countries would invite Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda to join the new Horn of Africa bloc, without elaborating how that could practically be realized.
“The new prime minister (of Ethiopia) is truly working on how to effect a major change on the face of the Horn of Africa region — be it the political side or economic side,” he said of the Ethiopian reformist leader who came to power in April this year.
President Farmajo said the new political agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia would help stop “any interference in Somalia,” demanding that Ethiopians, Kenyans and other neighboring countries “behave as equal people who doesn’t interfere, directly or indirectly” in each other’s internal affairs.