The Somali government announced its support for the massive popular demonstrations demanded by various civil society segments tomorrow, Thursday, to protest the invalid maritime agreement between Ethiopia and the Somaliland region.

Somali Interior Minister Ahmed Maalim Fiqi said, according to the Somali News Agency "SONA," today Wednesday, that the federal government welcomes the holding of popular demonstrations called for by civil society.

Fiqi added that the Somali government is ready to support civil society in holding peaceful demonstrations.

The agreement made last week between Ethiopia and the separatist Somaliland region continues to raise several concerns and risks that may threaten security in the Horn of Africa and navigation in the Red Sea, as well as Egyptian security, according to some experts.

It is noted that Somalia has taken serious steps in recent days to confront this Ethiopian move; the government quickly canceled the agreement and proceeded to coordinate and communicate with Egypt and the Arab League.

In this context, Dr. Abdulrahman Badiyo, Professor of Modern History and Senior Advisor to the Somali President for Peace and Reconciliation Affairs, told "Al Arabiya.net" that "the memorandum of understanding signed between Abiy Ahmed and Musa Behi is dangerous and constitutes a major threat to Somalia, Ethiopia, the broader Horn of Africa inhabitants, the Horn of Africa region, as well as the Red Sea region, and it also revives the possibility of extremist and terrorist movements."

Badiyo said that "Somalia decided to build many ports along its coasts to strengthen trade relations with Ethiopia in four federal states, as an initiative to promote good neighborliness, and these ports are the 'Gar'ad' port in Puntland, the Hobyo port in the "Galmudug" region, the Adale port in "Hirshabelle," and the Marka or Baraawe port in the southwest."

He added that "it was expected that all those ports would be linked to the Somali-Ethiopian border and could have been used by Ethiopia legally," but it resorted to another plan that violates and infringes on Somali sovereignty."

He also considered that Abiy Ahmed is trying to take advantage of the ongoing aspirations of Somaliland to obtain international recognition and support in this direction in exchange for obtaining a port on its lands, and he viewed that "this step can be seen as an attempt to exploit Somaliland's desperation for diplomatic recognition."

Furthermore, he confirmed that this deal lacks any legal basis and reveals Abiy Ahmed's pursuit to also meet the aspirations of his Oromo voters in Ethiopia by providing a direct access route to the Red Sea.

He also considered that this "step also aligns with Ethiopia's broader historical desire to obtain an outlet to the Red Sea at the passage between Somalia and Djibouti, adjacent to the Zaila area in the north."

The Somali President's advisor revealed that the Ethiopian step had positive results, including uniting the Somali nation, the government's swift intervention to confront and respond by enacting legislation to cancel it.

He also pointed out that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud canceled the memorandum of understanding after both houses of parliament unanimously approved this, as well as Somalia's success in mobilizing international support to avoid potential conflict in the Horn of Africa.

He also considered that "Abiy Ahmed's pursuit to achieve gains in Somalia has become futile, as the people of the Somaliland region are divided over the deal, which poses a major challenge to the success of Ethiopia's project."

As for the most dangerous consequences of signing this memorandum of understanding, he saw it embodied in "reviving extremists such as Al-Shabaab and ISIS, after they had significantly diminished since 2023 in Somalia." He confirmed that "these extremists will use the memorandum as a pretext to defend the Muslim Somali state against Ethiopians, to mobilize the Somali people and youth to act in the name of their alleged jihad."

Egypt quickly responded to the Ethiopian step by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announcing his support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia.

Cairo also sent a high-level delegation to Somalia last Sunday, which was received by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and discussed the crisis details.

It is noted that Abiy's declared ambition to secure his country's access to the Red Sea is a source of tension between Ethiopia and all its neighbors, as well as raising fears of a new conflict in the Horn of Africa.

In a related context, Somali security forces foiled a plan by terrorist militias in the capital, "Mogadishu."

The Somali News Agency "SONA" stated that Somali security forces thwarted a terrorist explosion after militia members placed a bomb near the fuel station in the "Hamrouni" market, and they evacuated the area from citizens to keep them safe from the terrorist explosion.