MOGADISHU (SD) -The Federal Government of Somalia has announced today, Thursday, that they have expelled the Ethiopian government’s ambassador in Mogadishu, and ordered the immediate closure of the consulates that the Ethiopian government maintains in the cities of Garowe (Puntland) and Hargeisa (Somaliland).

A statement issued by Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that both of these consulates will be shut down in Week.

Somalia has accused Ethiopia of interfering in its internal affairs, stating that such actions undermine the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Additionally, Somalia has instructed diplomats and staff of the Ethiopian government working at both consulates to leave the country within a week.

Finally, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified Ethiopia’s government of the decision officially and requested the Ethiopian Ambassador to Somalia to return to his country for consultation.

The governments of Puntland and Somaliland have opposed the federal government’s decision to expel Ethiopian diplomats and the closure of the Ethiopian consulates in Garowe and Hargeisa.