Djibouti Anticipates Ethiopia’s Response to Port Access Plan to Alleviate Tensions with Somalia

Mogadishu (AX) – Djibouti’s intriguing suggestion as a potential remedy for the ongoing diplomatic rift between Somalia and Ethiopia remains unanswered by Ethiopia, Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf disclosed.

In a tête-à-tête with VOA, Youssouf shared that the ball is still in Ethiopia’s court regarding the management and use of the Tojorah port, nestled in Djibouti’s northern expanse.

This port has been proposed by Djibouti as an alternate maritime gateway for landlocked Ethiopia, heavily dependent on its neighbors for trade corridors.

“The offer is still very much on the horizon,” Youssouf stated, “Our aim is to ease the strain between Ethiopia and Somalia by offering a northern port for Ethiopia’s commercial activities.” He noted that this could potentially pave the way for joint ventures that would invigorate both economies.

Somalia, meanwhile, has shown openness to Ethiopia’s commercial pursuits but has firmly vetoed any military deployment. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud remarked that Ethiopia’s commercial access should align with the setup neighboring landlocked nations have with coastal states, like Uganda’s arrangements with Kenya or Rwanda’s with Tanzania.

“We’re all in favor of commercial access for Ethiopia, but we draw the line at any naval bases,” Mohamud underlined.

Djibouti pitched this plan back in July 2024, yet Ethiopian officials have remained reticent to this day. Strategically perched in the Horn of Africa, Djibouti plays host to military bases of several global heavyweights including the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and China, making it a maritime linchpin in the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden nexus, a zone beset with threats from insurgents, piracy, and Houthi aggression.

The diplomatic tango between Ethiopia and Somalia became notably strained in January 2024. This friction intensified when Ethiopia inked a Memorandum of Understanding with North Western State of Somalia. This deal dangled sea access and a military base in exchange for potentially recognizing North Western State of Somalia’s quest for independence, a move that further ruffled Somalia’s feathers.

Edited by: Ali Musa

Axadle international–Monitoring