Somalia and Ethiopia Makes Progress on Talks for Port Access
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Ethiopia and Somalia are on a path for renewed cooperation\u00a0after the two sides agreed to end the Somaliland port dispute. Last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed toured Mogadishu and held talks with Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Top on the agenda of the meeting was Horn of Africa security as well as the start of technical negotiations for Ethiopia\u2019s port access, as agreed on in Ankara last December.<\/p>\n
With Turkey acting as the mediator, Ethiopia and Somalia agreed to reach a \u201cmutually beneficial commercial arrangement, which ensured Ethiopia gains access to the sea\u00a0under Somalia\u2019s sovereignty. In an interview with local media last week, Somali foreign affairs minister\u00a0Ali Mohammed Omar\u00a0said that talks are ongoing, and he suggested that the aim is to reach a framework agreement by June.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat framework will determine which type of port to offer, the exact area in the Indian Ocean and the overall cost of it,\u201d said the minister.<\/p>\n
This is remarkable progress in finding a long-term solution to Ethiopia\u2019s ambitions for port access. Under\u00a0the previous deal, Addis Ababa was planning to lease a 12-mile section of Berbera’s coastline in the self-governing breakaway region of Somaliland, without Mogadishu’s permission. Unfortunately, the decision stoked tension in the already-restive Horn of Africa region.<\/p>\n
Ethiopia became landlocked in 1993 after Eritrea gained independence, marking the end of a three-decade war between the two countries. Currently, Ethiopia utilizes Djibouti’s ports, through a network of roads and the 752-kilometer Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.<\/p>\n
However, as one of the largest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia is pushing to build its own port on the Indian Ocean. The port could also serve as a base for the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE), one of the largest African ocean carriers.<\/p>\n
Currently, ESLSE has a fleet of ten bulk carriers but has announced plans to add an extra six, as Ethiopia\u2019s import and export needs grow. According to a 2023\/2024 performance report, ESLSE handles around 45 percent of Ethiopia\u2019s dry cargo imported through Djiboutian ports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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