As Ethiopia seeks Sea access by Any Means & Egypt-Somalia Alliance blooms..

Deal for access to the ocean adds to the long-standing dispute over massive Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam that is still a sore point today, That the blossoming ties between Egypt and Somalia have put Ethiopia on the edge is an open secret. What is not known, for now, is how Ethiopia will upend its ties with these countries..

Some matters remain as they were. Ethiopian troops are still in Somalia, Ethiopian Airlines flies daily to Mogadishu and Addis Ababa has since cemented relationship with the military regime in Sudan, which is also close to Cairo, But for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the political audience back at home, and abroad, has meant he speaks firmly on his country’s desire to gain a sea access, insist on pursuing peace in the region, while calculating how to deal with an enemy that is now Somalia’s friend.

The actual deal, signed on January 2, has never been made public, although both Ethiopia and Somaliland say it exists, Angered by the deal, Somalia condemned the maritime agreement saying as an act of “aggression.” In reaction, Somalia has sought to bolster its military relationships, particularly with Egypt, to counter what it perceives as a threat.

Egypt is reportedly planning to send up to 10,000 soldiers to Somalia by the end of the year, with 5,000 joining a revamped African Union (AU) force and the other 5,000 deployed separately, The AU force, now known as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has been active in Somalia since 2007 where it supports the government in combating the terrorist group al-Shabab.

Some critics argue Ethiopia’s once vibrant diplomacy has now turned into one of defensive approach, “Defending a sovereignty needs prongs of domestic and regional approach: domestically, Ethiopia is in political, economic, and security crisis, and thus it needs comprehensive approach comprising at least national reconciliation, political stability, and economic growth,” Metta-Alem argued.