#getachew

Getachew Reda hints #Ethiopia won’t be first to recognize #Somaliland #Getachew Reda, Advisor to the Prime Minister on East African Affairs, suggested Ethiopia would not be the first country to recognize Somaliland but hinted it may not be far behind. Speaking to journalist Jim Steinman on Global Power Shift, he recalled late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s remark that Ethiopia “won’t be the first, but it won’t be the third either.”Ethiopia and Somaliland signed an MoU in January 2024, which Addis Abeba said included provisions for assessing Somaliland’s recognition bid. Getachew noted U.S. recognition could trigger a domino effect, while underscoring the inevitability of Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access for its 130 million citizens. Warning against rising tensions with Eritrea, he urged pragmatic “give and take” to prevent what he called a potential “descent into all-out war.” Watch