UNCLOS not applicable in resolving the Ethio-Somali dispute
From right to left: Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, foreign minister of Somalia, Hakan Fidan, foreign minter of Türkiye, Taye Atske Selassie, foreign minister of Ethiopia. Ankara, Türkiye July 1, 2024 By: Mohamed Garad As all eyes are on Ankara in the mediation of the Somali maritime dispute between Somalia & Ethiopia, many have placed hope on UNCLOS to make a breakthrough. However, UNCLOS is not applicable or an effective tool to resolve the dispute. The dispute between the two countries lies over sovereignty & territorial integrity following Ethiopia's signing of an MoU with Somalia's breakaway region, Somaliland. UNCLOS explicitly rules that it doesn't override state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and if a country feels its sovereignty and/ or territorial integrity are in jeopardy, it can ban the transit state from its sovereign soil and maritime. In a state capacity, the Somali president officially declared Ethiopia's move to sign the MoU with Somaliland a d...