Addis Ababa, February 19, 2024(Addis Walta) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia’s spokesperson, Ambassador Meles Alem, has refuted the allegations made by the Somali Government that Ethiopian Government security attempted to prevent their delegation from attending the proceedings of the AU Summit.
According to him, several country delegations at the AU Summit have rejected Somalia’s accusations.
During a press briefing, Ambassador Meles Alem explained that the Ethiopian government is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all Heads of Government and State during their stay in Addis Ababa. To fulfill this responsibility, the government deploys security personnel.
However, the President of Somalia refused to accept the security personnel deployed for him by the Government of Ethiopia, as stated by Ambassador Meles.
He further elaborated that deploying security personnel for the safety of guests is customary at big diplomatic events, but the President of Somalia acted differently.
The President of Somalia was greeted by the Government of Ethiopia with a ceremonial event similar to other heads of state.
Nevertheless, according to the spokesperson, security guards from the Somalian delegation were not allowed to enter the African Union Headquarters with their weapons.