African state warns against invasion

Ethiopia is locked in a dispute with Somalia and Egypt over a maritime deal and a hydroelectric dam project

Ethiopia will “humiliate” any nation that attempts to threaten its sovereignty, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has warned amid rising tensions between his country and neighboring Somalia and Egypt.

The Ethiopian leader made his remarks during the country’s Sovereignty Day ceremony in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Sunday.

“We will not be touched. However, we will humiliate anyone who dares to threaten us in order to dissuade them. We won’t negotiate with anyone on Ethiopia’s sovereignty and dignity,” the Ethiopian News Agency quoted Abiy Ahmed as saying.

The East African nation has been locked in a dispute with Somalia since January over a maritime deal it signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland. Mogadishu has labeled the agreement, which would grant landlocked Ethiopia access to the Red Sea, as “illegal,” an act of “aggression,” and a threat to its sovereignty.

READ MORE: Egypt sends arms to Horn of Africa – Reuters

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has since sought stronger military ties with Egypt, which has long had strained relations with Addis Ababa over the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.

Late last month, Cairo delivered military aid, including weapons, to Mogadishu for the first time in more than 40 years. The move followed a defense accord signed earlier this year between the two countries after Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi warned that his government would not tolerate anyone threatening Somalia’s security or infringing on its territory. Egypt has also reportedly offered to send troops to Somalia following the approval of a defense pact last month.

Cairo also filed a complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) last month, accusing Ethiopia of threatening regional stability with its alleged unilateral actions regarding the controversial GERD project.

Read more

On Sunday, Ethiopia’s prime minister said Addis Ababa had no intention of taking the “belongings” of others or engaging “in conflict with any country.” 

Abiy said any country planning to invade Africa’s second-most-populous state should “think about it more than ten times” before proceeding, as such a move would be repelled.

“Throughout its history, Ethiopia has maintained its sovereignty and never invaded another country. However, it has always defended itself against those who threatened its sovereignty. And this will continue to be upheld by the united efforts of its people,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).