Nairobi (AFP) – Djibouti has put forward a port-sharing arrangement with Ethiopia, aiming to lower the friction between Ethiopia and Somalia, two adversaries in the Horn of Africa.
The disagreement between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa has considerably escalated since Ethiopia inked a contentious maritime agreement in January with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) allows Ethiopia, one of the world’s substantial landlocked nations, to gain seafaring access. However, Somalia perceives the accord as a violation of its territorial integrity.
Djibouti’s top diplomat, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, clarified that Djibouti is proposing joint management of the Tadjoura port with Ethiopia. He refuted any intentions of transferring ownership completely.
“We never considered selling the Tadjoura port. There’s been no talk of transferring ownership,” Youssouf remarked to journalists on Monday.
“The port is a national asset and will remain so,” he emphasized. “Our proposal maintains joint management instead.”
The $60-million port, operational since 2017, connects to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, a pivotal global maritime route.
Youssouf underscored the significance of retaining Ethiopian commerce for Djibouti, whose economy thrives on global trade and shipping sectors.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, didn’t immediately comment back to AFP’s inquiry.
Under the New Year’s Day accord with Addis Ababa, North Western of Somaliaagreed to lease 12 miles (20 kilometers) of its coastline to Ethiopia for 50 years. Ethiopia plans to establish a naval base and commercial port there.
North Western of Somaliaindicated that, in return, Ethiopia would formally recognize its independence, a claim not yet corroborated by Addis Ababa.
Somaliland, formerly a British protectorate home to 4.5 million people, proclaimed independence in 1991. However, global acknowledgment has been elusive.
Until war erupted between Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000, Addis Ababa used Eritrean ports. Post-conflict, Ethiopia redirected the bulk of its maritime trade through Djibouti.
Ethiopia and Somalia, with a history marked by turbulent relations and territorial disputes, waged two wars during the late 20th century.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia proclaimed on Sunday that his nation would “humiliate” any country threatening its sovereignty, accusing unspecified entities of attempting to “destabilize” the Horn of Africa.
The warning followed July’s reports of Egypt, which has long-standing tensions with Ethiopia over the Blue Nile mega-dam, dispatching military gear to Somalia.
Moreover, Egypt proposed to deploy troops to Somalia as part of a new African Union-led mission poised to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in the upcoming year.
Currently, Ethiopia is a key participant in ATMIS, aiding Somali forces in their battle against the Al-Shabaab insurgent group.
