Ethiopia Signs Deal With Somaliland To Secure Access To Sea

Landlocked Ethiopia signed an initial agreement on Monday with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland that will give it access to the sea through the Red Sea port of Berbera, although a number of prominent Somalis have cried foul.

The memorandum of understanding was signed between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Abiy's office hailed the pact as "historic," saying it is "intended to serve as a framework for the multisectoral partnership between the two sides."

"The Memorandum of Understanding shall pave the way to realize the aspiration of Ethiopia to secure access to the sea and diversify its access to seaports," the office said in the statement.

It said the agreement will also strengthen the security, economic and political partnership between the two sides.

"The Memorandum of Understanding reaffirms the principled position of the Ethiopian government to advance mutual interests through cooperation on the basis of reciprocity," it added.

Abiy said the agreement ushers in a new chapter of cooperation and has a huge significance for regional integration in the Horn of Africa which also enables Ethiopia to enhance its role in maintaining regional peace and security.

But a number of prominent Somalis including former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire condemned the agreement, saying it is a violation of Somalia's sovereignty.

"Ethiopia declared war on #Somalia by (a) saying it will take Somalia's territory and Red Sea from the breakaway Somaliland and (b) stating it plans to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, despite knowing it is a region within Somalia," Abdirashid Hashi, former director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, wrote on X.

The announcement of the agreement without the approval of Mogadishu has prompted Somalia's Cabinet to convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

It comes days after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Somaliland President Abdi met in Djibouti, announcing the resumption of talks between Mogadishu and Hargeisa.

Ethiopia lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted from 1961 to 1991.

In 1991, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia, leading to the establishment of two separate nations. The separation resulted in Ethiopia losing direct access to the Red Sea and key ports.

Ethiopia has since been landlocked, affecting its ability to conduct efficient maritime trade. -