ENTEBBE, Uganda, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Regional leaders meeting here Thursday called for the de-escalation of tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia over access to the Red Sea.

A communique issued at the end of the one-day Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit held at State House, 40 km south of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, urged the two parties to engage in constructive dialogue to end the deteriorating situation.

"The assembly reaffirmed the cardinal principles of respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia, and any engagement should uphold the above cardinal principles. Any agreement or arrangement should be with the consent of the government of Somalia," said the communique issued here.

President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh chaired the meeting, attended by Kenyan President William Ruto, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Moussa Faki, the African Union Commission chairperson, and several envoys from the European Union, UN and Arab League, among others, also attended the meeting.

Tensions continue to mount in relations between Ethiopia and Somalia after Ethiopia and Somaliland signed an agreement earlier this month, allowing Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for its recognition of Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia, which views Somaliland as part of its territory, described the agreement as a violation of its territorial integrity.

Faki said the tension between the two countries is a great concern for the stability of the Horn of Africa. He added that the tension compounds an already difficult time for the region to fight al-Shabaab, a militant group fighting the Somali government. Enditem

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