Ethiopia and Somaliland have reached an agreement where Ethiopia will have naval and commercial entry to ports located on Somaliland’s coastline. This deal includes recognition of Somaliland’s independence. The announcement was made public.
The government of Somalia, which has maintained the belief that Somaliland is still a part of the nation, declared that it would hold an urgent cabinet meeting in reaction to the memorandum of understanding, as reported by the state news agency Sonna.
The Somaliland president, Muse Bihi, announced at a press conference in Addis Ababa, following a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, that they are grateful to officially recognize the country and provide 20km of sea as per their agreement.
On X, previously known as Twitter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland announced that the agreement entails a 50-year lease for access.
Somaliland’s information minister, Ali Hassan Mohamed, stated that the agreement was a significant development and reiterated his government’s belief that it granted 20km (12 miles) of sea access in return for diplomatic recognition.
The announcement released by X Abiy’s office expressed approval of the agreement, but did not address recognition of Somaliland. Instead, it promised to promote shared interests through reciprocal cooperation.
The memorandum of understanding stated that it will facilitate the fulfillment of the goal to gain sea access and expand access to sea ports, marking a new era of collaboration and regional unity in the Horn region.
Redwan Hussein, a consultant for Abiy Ahmed, stated that the agreement was a positive move for both present and future generations. He also mentioned that the specifics of the memorandum would be finalized during a subsequent meeting in one month.
The encounter between Ethiopia and Somaliland occurred shortly after Somalia and Somaliland declared progress in discussions in Djibouti, agreeing to continue communication between their respective main cities.
Abdikarim Hussein Guled, the special representative of Somalia to Somaliland, expressed that the agreement made by Ethiopia is a clear violation of international standards and undermines the progress made between Hargeisa and Mogadishu. The former president of Somalia, Mohamed Farmaajo, shared on X that the deal signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland is a cause of concern for both Somalia and the rest of Africa.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in the early 1990s, when Somalia had descended into a protracted civil war. Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, has been actively seeking international recognition for more than three decades, within the borders of the former British protectorate. Formal recognition by Ethiopia would present Somaliland with its biggest opportunity yet to begin overcoming its international isolation.
In the early 1990s, Ethiopia’s access to its Red Sea ports was cut off due to Eritrean rebels gaining control of the northern coastal region, which was previously an Italian colony. This ultimately led to Eritrea declaring independence.
Ethiopia is heavily reliant on Djibouti for international trade, with more than 95% passing through the Addis-Djibouti corridor, a vulnerability it has sought to mitigate by diversifying its options. Ethiopia has been signalling its interest in acquiring access to ports along east Africa’s seaboard since October, and said it would assert its rights, raising concern among its neighbours.
During a broadcasted speech, Abiy stated that Ethiopia should be involved in the decision-making process regarding the utilization of Red Sea ports belonging to neighboring coastal countries. He also mentioned that countries situated downstream along the Nile River have been granted the opportunity to negotiate the use of the river, which Ethiopia has constructed a dam across for electricity production.
Source: theguardian.com
