Press Release – Somaliland Rejects The Red Sea Regulatory Regime Established By Red Sea Bordering States
The government of Somaliland has rejected Saudi Arabia’s plans to establish a new regional security entity to protect the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
A statement released today by Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Coordination said that Somaliland government considers such initiative as incomplete without the participation of Somaliland.
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Following talks held by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen on 12th December 2018, the initiative will be reviewed at a later stage in Cairo.
“The Republic of Somaliland considers the recently-announced initiative to establish an entity of cooperation with six countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a strategic area and a vital global shipping line as incomplete without the participation of Somaliland,” said on the statement
“Somaliland has successfully safeguarded terrorist and pricy from its land and coastal waters, and will not delegate the security of its 850-kilometer territorial water to any other country” added.
“Somaliland is an independent and sovereign country and any agreement between regional countries that considers Somaliland as part of Somalia is a mistake and unacceptable to Somaliland.
However, we look forward to any cooperation that actively contributes to the security and prosperity of this area without compromising the sovereignty of any country,” it concluded.
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On December 12, Saudi Arabia announced a new alliance with six countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a strategic area vital to global shipping and increasingly an arena of contention with regional rivals like Iran, Turkey, and Qatar.
Representatives from Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Jordan gathered in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the initiative without reaching a final agreement.
Eritrea, with Red Sea islands and a mainland coastline of 1,150-kilometers (715 miles), and Somaliland with longest Red Sea coastline were not present. Nor was Ethiopia, which has no access to the sea but the largest population in the Horn of Africa.
