Ethiopia, Somaliland Reach ‘Historic’ Agreement over Access to Ports

By Al Mayadeen English

2 Jan 2024 09:40

Naval and commercial access to Somaliland's coast was granted to Ethiopia in exchange for recognizing the breakaway region's independence.

Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a "historic" deal, which grants Ethiopia access to naval and commercial ports along Somaliland's coast, in exchange for recognition of the breakaway republic's independence. 

Addressing the media at a press conference in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, following his meeting with the country's prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, President Muse Bihi of Somaliland stated, "We are pleased to announce, and want to express gratitude to the prime minister and Ethiopia, according to our agreement written here, that we will give 20km of sea, and they will recognize us."

Somaliland's Information Minister, Ali Hasan Mohamed,  believes the deal is a "game-changer", reiterating his government's view that the deal involved providing Ethiopia with 20km (12 miles) of sea access in exchange for diplomatic recognition.

On another note, the Somali government was steadfast in its position that Somaliland is an integral part of the country and declared its intention to hold an emergency meeting of its cabinet in response to the memorandum of understanding, as reported by the state news agency Sonna.

Abiy's office welcomed the agreement in a statement on X, highlighting a commitment to "advance mutual interests through cooperation based on reciprocity." Notably, the statement did not explicitly mention the recognition of Somaliland. It added: “The memorandum of understanding shall pave the way to realize the aspiration to secure access to the sea and diversify its access to seaports,” ushering in a “new chapter of cooperation” and “regional integration in the Horn”.

According to Redwan Hussein, Abiy Ahmed's advisor, the details of the memorandum would be formalized in a follow-up meeting next month.

Tensions again 

The meeting between Ethiopia and Somaliland came days after Somalia and Somaliland announced a breakthrough in talks in Djibouti, committing to further dialogue between their respective capitals.

Somalia's government reached a comprehensive security cooperation agreement with the breakaway Somaliland region following years of stalled tensions, as reported by Somalian media on Saturday.

The leaders of Somalia and Somaliland, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Muse Bihi Abdi respectively, had earlier convened a meeting hosted by Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh to restart discussions regarding the political status of the autonomous region situated in northern Somalia.

During these talks, both parties committed to an 8-point agreement, which includes combating organized crime and developing a negotiation roadmap within a 30-day timeframe, as outlined by the Garowe Online news website.

Abdikarim Hussein Guled, Somalia's special envoy to Somaliland, criticized the new agreement with Ethiopia, stating that it represented Ethiopia's "blatant disregard for international norms" and undermined the progress made between Hargeisa and Mogadishu.

Former Somali President Mohamed Farmaajo expressed concerns, posting on X: "The agreement signed by Ethiopia with Somaliland today is a serious concern for Somalia and the whole of Africa."

Here is what you need to know 

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in the early 1990s amid Somalia's prolonged civil war. Over three decades later, Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, has actively sought international recognition within the borders of the former British protectorate. Formal recognition by Ethiopia could offer Somaliland its most significant opportunity yet to address its longstanding international isolation.

Ethiopia lost access to its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s when Eritrean forces, controlling Ethiopia's northern coastal region, declared independence from the country. Ethiopia, heavily dependent on Djibouti for international trade, sought to diversify its options to mitigate vulnerability, expressing interest in acquiring access to ports along East Africa's seaboard since October. On that note, Ethiopia's assertion of rights and signaling its interest in Red Sea ports has raised concerns among its neighbors.

In a televised address, Abiy stated that Ethiopia should have a say in using the Red Sea ports of its coastal neighbors, drawing parallels to countries downstream along the Nile River negotiating the use of the river, where Ethiopia has built a dam to generate power.