Ethiopia defends sea access deal with Somaliland

Ethiopia defends sea access deal with Somaliland
Girls dressed in the colors of the Somali flag participate in a demonstration supporting Somalia following the port deal signed between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland, in Mogadishu on Thursday. (AFP)
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Updated 03 January 2024
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Ethiopia defends sea access deal with Somaliland

Ethiopia defends sea access deal with Somaliland
  • Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, a move not recognized internationally and staunchly opposed by Mogadishu although in reality the central government exercises little authority over the region’s affairs

NAIROBI: The Ethiopian government on Wednesday defended a controversial deal with the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland, saying no laws have been transgressed.
The agreement — which gives landlocked Ethiopia long-sought access to the Red Sea — has been condemned by the government in Mogadishu as an “aggression” and a “blatant assault” on its sovereignty.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, a move not recognized internationally and staunchly opposed by Mogadishu although in reality the central government exercises little authority over the region’s affairs.
The memorandum of understanding signed in Addis Ababa on Monday gives Ethiopia a military base and access to commercial maritime services on the Red Sea.
Somaliland’s president Muse Bihi Abdi said in a statement that in exchange, Ethiopia would “formally recognize” Somaliland, a former British protectorate of about 4.5 million people.
But the Ethiopian government has not confirmed this.
In a statement on Wednesday it said the deal “includes provisions for the Ethiopian government to make an in-depth assessment toward taking a position regarding the efforts of Somaliland to gain recognition.”
The deal has infuriated the government in Mogadishu, which has vowed to defend its territory “by any legal means” and also recalled its ambassador in Ethiopia.
But the Ethiopian statement said: “No party or country will be affected by this MOU. There is no broken trust nor is there any laws that have been transgressed.”
It said that even though Somaliland has not been fully recognized, it has nevertheless signed agreements with various countries, including for port development.
“Yet there has been no murmur or complaint when this materialized,” it added.
The deal was signed several months after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his country, Africa’s second most populous, would assert its right to access the Red Sea, sparking concerns among its neighbors.
Ethiopia was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded and declared independence in 1993 following a three-decade war.
Addis Ababa had maintained access to a port in Eritrea until the two countries went to war in 1998-2000, and since then Ethiopia funnels most of its trade through Djibouti.
Ethiopia’s economy has been constrained by its lack of maritime access, and the Berbera port in Somaliland offers a gateway to the Red Sea and further north to the Suez Canal.


Spanish PM says ‘no withdrawal’ of UN force from Lebanon

Spanish PM says ‘no withdrawal’ of UN force from Lebanon
Updated 11 sec ago
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Spanish PM says ‘no withdrawal’ of UN force from Lebanon

Spanish PM says ‘no withdrawal’ of UN force from Lebanon
MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday said there would be “no withdrawal” of the UN peacekeeping force from southern Lebanon after Israeli attacks and calls to leave.
Israel’s offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia has thrust the UNIFIL force deployed in Lebanon since 1978 into the spotlight.
The force, which involves about 9,500 troops from some 50 nations led by a Spanish general, has reported multiple Israeli attacks in recent days that injured five of its troops and sparked international condemnation.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on them to withdraw for their own safety and said their presence had “the effect of providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields.”
Spain condemns Netanyahu’s call for the force to pull back and “there will be no withdrawal of UNIFIL,” Sanchez told a forum in Barcelona.
Sanchez affirmed his commitment to a UN Security Council resolution that bolstered the force’s role in 2006 following the last major conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in south Lebanon.
That commitment “makes more sense today than ever after seeing what is happening on the ground,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez has been one of the most strident critics of the Netanyahu government’s war in Gaza, which was sparked by last year’s unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel.
The war has drawn in Iran-backed groups from across the region including Hezbollah, with Israel last month escalating its cross-border fire with the group and launching a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

EU sanctions Iran over ballistic missiles for Russia

EU sanctions Iran over ballistic missiles for Russia
Updated 14 October 2024
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EU sanctions Iran over ballistic missiles for Russia

EU sanctions Iran over ballistic missiles for Russia
  • European Union foreign ministers approved the sanctions on seven entities

BRUSSELS: The EU imposed sanctions on Monday on prominent Iranian officials and entities, including airlines, accused of taking part in the transfer of missiles and drones for Russia to use against Ukraine.
European Union foreign ministers approved the sanctions on seven entities, including Iran Air, and seven individuals, including deputy defense minister Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari and senior officials of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, the bloc said.
Leading European powers Britain, France and Germany adopted similar sanctions last month over Iranian missile transfers to Russia, as did the United States.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the adoption of the sanctions by the entire bloc, while adding: “More is needed.”
“The Iranian regime’s support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is unacceptable and must stop,” she posted on X.
Two other Iranian airlines, Saha Airlines and Mahan Air, were hit under the EU measures, along with two procurement firms blamed for the “transfer and supply, through transnational procurement networks, of Iran-made UAVs and related components and technologies to Russia.”
The sanctions also target two companies involved in the production of propellant used to launch rockets and missiles.
Those targeted are subject to an asset freeze and banned from traveling to the European Union.
Iran rejects Western accusations it has transferred missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, dozens of Russian military personnel have received training in Iran on using the Fath-360 missile, which has a range of 120 kilometers (75 miles).


UN refugee chief urges states to drop border controls as displacement crises worsen

UN refugee chief urges states to drop border controls as displacement crises worsen
Updated 27 min 18 sec ago
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UN refugee chief urges states to drop border controls as displacement crises worsen

UN refugee chief urges states to drop border controls as displacement crises worsen
  • More than 123 million people displaced around the world
  • Continued air strikes set to worsen Lebanon displacement
  • Calls for drastic increase in support for Sudanese refugees

GENEVA: The head of the UN refugee agency warned on Monday that displacement crises in Lebanon and Sudan could worsen, but said tighter border measures were not the solution, calling them ineffective and sometimes unlawful.
Addressing more than 100 diplomats and ministers in Geneva at UNHCR’s annual meeting, Filippo Grandi said an unprecedented 123 million people are now displaced around the world by conflicts, persecution, poverty and climate change.
“You might then ask: what can be done? For a start, do not focus only on your borders,” he said, urging leaders instead to look at the reasons people are fleeing their homes.
“We must seek to address the root causes of displacement, and work toward solutions,” he said. “I beg you all that we continue to work — together and with humility — to seize every opportunity to find solutions for refugees.”
Without naming countries, Grandi said initiatives to outsource, externalize or even suspend asylum schemes were in breach of international law, and he offered countries help in finding fair, fast and lawful asylum schemes.
Western governments are under growing domestic pressure to get tougher on asylum seekers and Grandi has previously criticized a plan by the former British government to transfer them to Rwanda.
In the same speech he warned that in Lebanon, where more than one million people have fled their homes due to a growing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the situation could worsen further.
“Surely, if airstrikes continue, many more will be displaced and some will also decide to move on to other countries.”
He called for a drastic increase in support for refugees in Sudan’s civil war, saying lack of resources was already driving them across the Mediterranean Sea and even across the Channel to Britain.
“In this lethal equation, something has got to give. Otherwise, nobody should be surprised if displacement keeps growing, in numbers but also in geographic spread,” he said.
The UNHCR response to the crisis that aims to help a portion of the more than 11 million people displaced inside Sudan or in neighboring countries is less than 1/3 funded, Grandi said.
The number of displaced people around the world has more than doubled in the past decade.
Grandi, set to serve as high commissioner until Dec. 2025, said the agency’s funding for this year had recently improved due to US support but remained “well below the needs.”


Scottish nationalist politician expelled by party over ‘utterly abhorrent’ Gaza remarks

Scottish nationalist politician expelled by party over ‘utterly abhorrent’ Gaza remarks
Updated 14 October 2024
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Scottish nationalist politician expelled by party over ‘utterly abhorrent’ Gaza remarks

Scottish nationalist politician expelled by party over ‘utterly abhorrent’ Gaza remarks
  • John Mason: Israel would have ‘killed 10 times as many’ people if it wanted to commit genocide
  • SNP spokesperson: ‘To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable’

LONDON: A Scottish National Party politician has been expelled for “utterly abhorrent” comments about the war in Gaza, The Guardian reported.

John Mason, the member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Shettleston, said on social media in August: “If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed 10 times as many.”

It came in response to a post by former SNP colleague Sandra White, who wrote: “We know what Israelis hope to achieve they are already committing genocide in Gaza.” She added that “innocent children are being massacred.”

A party spokesperson said of Mason’s remarks: “To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance.”

Mason’s comments prompted a furious backlash from party supporters and colleagues, with former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford posting on X: “You are not fit for public office. You are an embarrassment and not fit to represent anyone.”

On Sunday, Mason said on X: “Very disappointed to be expelled from the SNP over my comments on Israel, Gaza, and whether or not there has been genocide.

“I continue to believe that we should be able to tolerate a variety of views within the party as long as we are all committed to Scottish independence.”

Mason posted on Facebook that he stood by his remarks, but that his “primary desire” for the conflict is “peace talks, negotiations, and eventually peace.”

He added: “Too many lives have already been lost in Israel, Gaza, and beyond and, as I said when I spoke in parliament, many people feel that Israel has moved from a position of self-defence to seeking revenge.

“However, I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide.

“They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many.”
 


Philippines seeks to enhance energy security with new Saudi cooperation

Philippines seeks to enhance energy security with new Saudi cooperation
Updated 14 October 2024
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Philippines seeks to enhance energy security with new Saudi cooperation

Philippines seeks to enhance energy security with new Saudi cooperation
  • Under national energy plan, Manila wants to increase renewable sources to 50 percent by 2040 
  • Saudi-Philippine cooperation can also explore tech, solutions related to climate change mitigation 

MANILA: The Philippines wants to expand its international energy partnerships and improve energy security with a new cooperation with Saudi Arabia, its Department of Energy said on Monday ahead of an official trip to the Kingdom.

Manila has been exploring clean and sustainable options to generate power as the country regularly suffers outages and faces high tariffs. Coal remains the main source of electricity in the Southeast Asian nation, accounting for more than half of its power generation. 

A Philippine energy mission was headed to Saudi Arabia on Monday for a two-day trip “aimed at enhancing energy security, driving economic growth, and fostering sustainable development,” the DoE said in a statement. 

“A major highlight of the mission is the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Energy of the KSA.” 

The latest mission follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trip to Riyadh last October, during which a $4.26 billion investment agreement was signed with Saudi business leaders. 

At the time, some Saudi state-owned enterprises had expressed interest in investing in the Philippine energy sector, the DoE said. 

The preliminary agreement will provide “a framework for cooperation on key areas,” including renewable energy and natural gas, as well as relevant technologies and solutions related to climate change mitigation. 

Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the government aims to increase the share of renewable sources in the energy mix from 22 percent currently to 50 percent by 2040. 

Philippine authorities expect the country’s power demand to increase almost fourfold from 2020 to 2040, especially as it remains dependent on imported fossil fuels and has insufficient renewables.

“Partnerships with Saudi Arabia extend beyond addressing the current energy needs,” the energy department said, adding that the two countries can explore possibilities for joint research and development projects, policy exchange, and capacity building in areas such as carbon capture, use and storage, and hydrogen.

“As global efforts to transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources intensify, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia can cooperate in the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies.”