The African Union (AU) on Thursday January 3, appealed for peace in the Horn of Africa after tensions soared following a contested deal between Ethiopia and Somalia.

This was after Somalia vowed to defend its territory after Monday’s agreement, which it described as an aggression and blatant assault on its sovereignty by Ethiopia. 

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) gives Ethiopia access to the Red Sea through Somaliland.

In a press statement, AU chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat appealed for calm and mutual respect to stop simmering tension between Ethiopia and Somalia.

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According to Faki, engaging in peaceful negotiations was the best way for Somalia and Ethiopia to settle their differences.

“He stresses the imperative to respect unity, territorial integrity and full sovereignty of all African Union member states,” read part of the AU statement.

In a separate incident, the United States on January 3, also recommended Somalia and Ethiopia to engage in talks to resolve the crisis.

“The United States recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia within its 1960 borders,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

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“We join other partners in expressing our serious concern about the resulting spike in tensions in the Horn of Africa.

“We urge all stakeholders to engage in diplomatic dialogue,” he added. 

The deal that was signed in Addis Ababa gives Ethiopia access to the Red Sea for carrying out commercial maritime services and a military base, with Somali leasing it 20 kilometers of the coastline for 50 years. 

However, Somaliland’s leader Muse Bihi Abdi has disclosed that in that agreement, Ethiopia was supposed to fully recognize Somaliland but this has not been confirmed by Addis Ababa.