Mentions:
1: Fiona Bruce (Con - Congleton) so please support that campaign.Other cases include that of 27-year-old Hoodo Abdi Abdillahi, from Somaliland—I - Speech Link
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Somaliland, (b) Somalia, (c) Ethiopia and (d) the African Union on the Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO has noted the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which suggests that Ethiopia will recognise Somaliland's independence in return for the lease of territory. We are concerned by escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa and are engaging with all relevant parties through our posts in the region to call for calm and encourage dialogue. The UK has reaffirmed its respect for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Written Evidence Jan. 23 2024
Inquiry: The UK Government’s work on achieving SDG2: Zero HungerFound: and 500,000 employment days for the poor, women, and youth in the three regions of South Central, Somaliland
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will start discussions with the Government of the Republic of Somaliland to agree a timeline and conditions for recognition.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK's position on this issue is unchanged; we believe that the settlement of Somaliland's status is an issue for Somalia and Somaliland to resolve. This requires a consultative process and dialogue, in which the UK encourages both Somalia and Somaliland to engage. Regarding the recent agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, the UK's position on recognition has not changed. On this we are in line with the African Union and other international partners.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in the government of the Republic of Somaliland on (a) regional security and (b) use of the port of Berbera.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since the announcement of the Ethiopia - Somaliland memorandum of understanding (MoU) the UK has been engaging closely with all parties involved, including the Somaliland authorities, to call for calm and dialogue. We are urging all involved to avoid action that would negatively affect regional security, especially the crucial fight against al-Shabaab. Separately, the UK is supporting the Berbera Corridor project through the 'Unlocking Prosperity in the Horn of Africa' programme. This has included £25 million in funding towards the development of infrastructure to facilitate access to Berbera port for Ethiopia and the wider region.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take steps to coordinate policies on the Republic of Somaliland and Somalia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is one of Somalia's closest and longest standing partners, and one of very few Western countries with a permanent diplomatic presence in Somaliland. We support Somaliland in enhancing stability and promoting economic, human and social development. This stands alongside our significant political, humanitarian and security assistance to Somalia as a whole.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with (a) his counterpart in Ethiopia, (b) his counterpart in Somalia, (c) authorities in Somaliland, (d) the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, (e) the African Union, (f) other states and (g) other international organisations on the Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland of 1 January 2024; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that agreement on (i) regional security and (ii) the status of Somaliland.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO notes the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which suggests that Ethiopia will recognise Somaliland's independence in return for the lease of territory. We are concerned by escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa and are engaging with all relevant parties through our posts in the region to call for calm and encourage dialogue. The UK has reaffirmed its respect for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and we are aware of statements from the countries and regional bodies referenced in the question. The UK's position remains that the settlement of Somaliland's status is for Somalia and Somaliland to resolve through a consultative process.
Mentions:
1: Alexander Stafford (Con - Rother Valley) With the recent deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland opening up the real possibility of international - Speech Link
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia to provide port access.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO noted the 1 January 2024 announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which suggests that Ethiopia will recognise Somaliland's independence in return for the lease of territory along its coastline. The UK is clear that we respect Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our position on Somaliland remains unchanged: alongside our international partners we do not recognise Somaliland as an independent state. We believe the settlement of Somaliland's status is for Somalia and Somaliland to resolve, through a consultative process. We are engaging all countries involved to call for calm and encourage dialogue.
Review the implications of Ethiopia-Somaliland MOU for East Africa
- 628 Signatures
(Estimated Final Signatures: 640 - 1 added in the past 24hrs)
We urge the Government to assess the potential impact of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland, and consider whether any action is needed to safeguard regional stability and diplomatic norms.
Found: Review the implications of Ethiopia-Somaliland MOU for East Africa