Ethiopia’s recent agreement to lease a port in the self-declared republic of Somaliland has triggered a diplomatic crisis with Somalia, which considers the region as part of its territory. The deal, signed on Jan. 1, would give Ethiopia access to the Red Sea for 50 years, in exchange for shares in Ethiopian state-owned companies and possible recognition of Somaliland’s independence.
Somalia has denounced the deal as an act of aggression and a violation of its sovereignty and has vowed to block it by any legal means. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also called on his people to “prepare for the defense of our homeland”, while thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, to express their anger.
Ethiopia, on the other hand, has defended the deal as a commercial arrangement that would benefit both countries and enhance regional integration. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with 120 million people, relies on ports in neighboring Djibouti for more than 90% of its trade, costing it more than $1.5 billion a year in fees. Ethiopia also wants a sea base for its navy, which has been rebuilt in recent years but is currently limited to conducting training exercises on an inland lake.
The port deal is not the first of its kind in the Horn of Africa, a strategic region that lies across the Red Sea from the Gulf, where several Middle Eastern powers have been competing for influence and establishing military bases. In 2018, Ethiopia signed a similar agreement with Eritrea, its former enemy, to use its ports after a historic peace deal ended a two-decade border conflict. In 2019, Ethiopia also reached a deal with Kenya to develop a port in Lamu, as part of a regional infrastructure project.
However, the deal with Somaliland is more controversial because of the unresolved status of the region, which declared its independence in 1991 after a brutal civil war with Somalia’s central government. Somaliland has since enjoyed relative stability and democracy but has not been recognized by any country. Somaliland hopes that the deal with Ethiopia will boost its chances of gaining international recognition, while Somalia fears that it will set a precedent that could encourage other secessionist movements in the region.
The deal has also raised concerns that it could escalate the existing tensions and conflicts in the Horn of Africa, where Ethiopia is already involved in a war in its northern Tigray region, a border dispute with Sudan, and a water dispute with Egypt over a giant dam on the Nile. Moreover, the deal could undermine the fragile peace and security in Somalia, which has been struggling to rebuild its state institutions and defeat the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, with the help of African Union and Western forces.
The African Union, the European Union, the United States, and the Arab League have all called for dialogue and respect for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while offering to mediate the dispute. However, Somalia has rejected any mediation unless Ethiopia retracts the deal, while Ethiopia has insisted that the deal is not a threat to anyone. The standoff has put pressure on the regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is chaired by Sudan and includes both Ethiopia and Somalia as members.
Analysts say that the port deal is a test for regional cooperation and integration in the Horn of Africa, which has been hailed as a model for the rest of the continent. They also warn that the deal could have wider implications for the geopolitics and security of the Red Sea and the Gulf, where rivalries and interventions have fuelled instability and violence in countries such as Yemen, Libya, and Syria.
Despite the challenges and risks, some observers hope that the port deal could also create opportunities for dialogue and compromise, and pave the way for a lasting solution to the Somaliland issue, which has been neglected by the international community for decades. They also hope that the deal could foster economic development and trade in the region, which is home to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world.
Source: Reuters
