Somalia has declared an Ethiopian diplomat working in Mogadishu a persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.
In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the diplomat, Ali Mohamed Adan, who is a counselor at Ethiopia’s embassy, of engaging in “activities incompatible with his diplomatic role.” The ministry said these actions “constitute a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” but did not provide specifics.
Somalia and Ethiopia have been involved in a heated diplomatic dispute since Addis Ababa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the breakaway region of Somaliland. Somalia sees this as an infringement on its sovereignty, while Ethiopia and Somaliland have defended the MOU.
In April, Somalia expelled Ethiopia’s ambassador, Muktar Mohamed Ware, alleging “internal interference” by Ethiopia. The Somalian government also ordered the closure of Ethiopia’s consulates in Somaliland and Puntland, though they remained open.
Last month, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre urged the international community to stand with Somalia in condemning what he called Ethiopia’s attempts to “annex parts of Somalia under the guise of securing sea access.” Ethiopia’s then-foreign minister, Taye Atske Selassie, rejected the allegations, saying the MOU with Somaliland is “based on existing political dispensation in Somalia.”
The expulsion of the Ethiopian diplomat is the latest escalation in the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two Horn of Africa nations. Somalia’s government has accused Ethiopia of interfering in its internal affairs, while Ethiopia has maintained that its engagement with Somaliland is legitimate.
