Somalia announced on Thursday the expulsion of the Ethiopian ambassador Muktar Mohamed Ware. The announcement comes amid worsening relations between Ethiopia and Somalia regarding the recognition of Somaliland’s independence.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ordered Muktar to depart from Somalia within 72 hours. The Ethiopian Consulates General in Hargeisa and Garowe, the capitals of Somaliland and Puntland, respectively, were ordered to close within a period of seven days. Finally, the Somali Ambassador in Ethiopia Addis Abada was summoned back for “comprehensive consultations.”

According to the statement, the decision was made by the Council of Ministers under Article 90 of the Constitution in response to the actions of Ethiopia, “which infringe upon Somalia’s sovereignty and international affairs.”

On January 2, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which officially recognized Somaliland as an independent nation. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud strongly opposed the move and warned in an interview with Al Jazeera that the land “belongs to Somalia and [Somalia] will never yield to whatever pressure that comes on it”.

Somaliland unilaterally declared independence and formed its own constitution in 1991 after the start of the Somali Civil War. Since the declaration, only a few countries have official recognized Somaliland’s sovereign status. Despite its support for Somaliland’s independence, Ethiopia has emphasized that nobody should be offended, shocked or negatively affected by the recognition. Muktar also previously apologized for “misguided” comments about Somaliland’s status and stressed that he never intended to harm the relationship between Ethiopia and Somalia.