MOGADISHU, Somalia: Somalia’s cabinet will hold an emergency meeting today (Tuesday) to address a pact Ethiopia signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland, allowing the former to use the Red Sea port of Berbera, the Somali state news agency said.
Landlocked Ethiopia relies on neighbouring Djibouti for most of its maritime trade.
The deal, inked in Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, aims to facilitate Ethiopia’s establishment of commercial marine operations and secure access to a leased military base on the Red Sea, according to Redwan Hussien, Abiy’s National Security adviser.
In exchange for these privileges, Somaliland is set to receive a stake in the state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, although specific details remain undisclosed. Somalia’s cabinet, convened on Tuesday, will determine the country’s response to this development, as reported by the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) on Monday evening.
Somaliland, despite declaring autonomy from Somalia in 1991, lacks widespread international recognition, with Somalia maintaining that Somaliland is part of its territory. The recent agreement adds a layer of complexity to the regional dynamics, occurring in the wake of last week’s announcement that Somalia and Somaliland had agreed to resume talks to address their disputes, mediated by Djibouti.
