Everything you need to know about the conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia
Ethiopia has denied violating Somalia's sovereignty
The government of Somalia has returned home the Ethiopian ambassador in the country and ordered the closure of two sub-embassies in the states of Somaliland and Puntland. this move has been said to be motivated by the diplomatic tension between the two neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa region.
Mogadishu has also recalled its ambassador from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, for "in-depth consultations" after accusing Ethiopia of interfering in "Somalia's internal affairs."
Ethiopia previously denied the allegations of border crossing as well as accusations of violating Somalia's sovereignty, but until now it has not made any statement regarding the latest measures.
What is the source of the conflict?
The tension between the two countries flared up when Ethiopia - a landlocked country - signed an agreement to use the port of Berbera located in Hargeisa, Somaliland. the state of Somalia, declared secession from the nation in 1991, although until now it has not been recognized as an independent nation by the United Nations.
According to the deal between Somaliland and Ethiopia - which Somalia says has no legal basis - seen as a statement of intent to pave the way for a future deal, Ethiopia could lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of coastline to build a naval base. .
this angered the Mogadishu government which considers Somaliland to be part of its territory. It described the plan as an act of aggression.
At the time, Somaliland officials said Ethiopia, for its part, would be the first country in the world to be recognized as an independent nation.
Somaliland separated from Somalia more than 30 years ago, but its independence is not recognized by the African Union (AU) or the United Nations (UN).
Authorities in Ethiopia have not publicly acknowledged that they will recognize Somaliland as an independent nation. instead, they said they would issue shares in profitable companies such as Ethiopian Airlines.
Have there been efforts to reduce tension?
due to the agreement, Ethiopia was strongly criticized internationally while the AU and several western countries including the United States wanted the integrity of Somalia's territory to be respected.
in an effort to gain regional support, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched a diplomatic campaign and traveled to Eritrea and Egypt - two countries that also do not have good relations with Ethiopia.
When he came to power, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made efforts to reopen relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and even succeeded in opening the border between the two nations.
As for Somalia, there have been behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to ease tensions but Somalia's demands to publicly rescind the deal have not yet been met.
Why does Ethiopia need access to the sea?
With a population of about 120 million, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country.
More than 90% of its international trade is conducted through the neighboring country of Djibouti. Officials in Addis Ababa see this as impossible.
before the Somaliland agreement was signed, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said access to the sea was an "existing" issue for his country. His remarks that Ethiopia would seek peaceful means to gain access to the port but "if that fails, we will use force" raised tensions in the region.
Ethiopia is also determined to build a navy - despite not being close to the sea. in 2018 Abiy said Addis Ababa should create a naval force alongside its air and ground forces.
How important are these latest moves?
The repatriation of Ethiopian and Somali diplomats indicates a deterioration in diplomatic relations between the respective countries.
The move was announced a day after Addis Ababa hosted officials from Puntland - the autonomous Somali state.
somalia has a leadership system of independent states that is FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, while it has six states with some level of independence that all have their own leaders but all six should be under the central government of Mogadishu.
The state of Puntland has recently clashed with the central government of Somalia over constitutional reform.
At the end of March, the Somali parliament passed a constitutional amendment that included the introduction of direct presidential elections and the approval of the president to choose the prime minister.
however, the northeastern state of Puntland rejected the move. Puntland, which has had some degree of self-government since the late 1990s, said it would withdraw from the federal system and rule on its own until a national referendum is held. the Puntland delegation's trip to Addis Ababa due to this division was not well received in Mogadishu.
It is not clear what retaliatory measures Ethiopia will take if it decides to do so. But there is no prospect of the conflict reaching the stage of war.
however, the deterioration of relations could affect the campaign against Islamic militants in the Horn of Africa.
There are already concerns that the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab could use the ongoing tensions to recruit fighters and increase security threats.
Ethiopia is also one of the countries contributing troops to the peacekeeping force led by the African Union in Somalia {ATMIS}.
according to the organization of the duties of the force, because it was designed to serve for a period of years, the body is expected to withdraw from the country at the end of this year, and hand over security responsibilities to the government of Somalia.
Currently, approximately four thousand soldiers and one thousand police officers who served in the force have left Somalia.
But tensions between Somalia and its most important neighbors could affect the transition
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