Somalia May Offer Ethiopia Indian Ocean Port Access to End Dispute

Somalia is considering offering Ethiopia access to a port on the Indian Ocean, a move that could ease tensions between the two nations over Addis Ababa’s long-standing quest for a direct trade route to the sea, according to Bloomberg.

The two countries are in talks, aiming to finalize a framework agreement by June, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar, said in an interview with Universal TV on Thursday.

Omar explained that the framework would determine the type of port to offer, the exact location in the Indian Ocean, and the overall cost. His comments followed a meeting in Mogadishu between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

On his social media page, Prime Minister Abiy expressed his gratitude, saying, “I appreciate the warm and brotherly welcome by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu today. We held extensive discussions on a range of areas including peace and security, economy, diplomacy, and the potential to build joint infrastructure.”

Bloomberg reported that spokespeople for Ethiopia’s Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.

Diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Somalia soured in January after Ethiopia announced a deal with Somaliland, a self-governing region that Somalia claims as its own. The agreement included port access and a military base on the Gulf of Aden, alongside an agreement to provide Somaliland with an unspecified stake in Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier. Mogadishu strongly opposed the deal, considering Somaliland part of Somalia.

Abiy (PhD) and Mohamud (PhD) agreed to resolve their dispute by the end of February, under the mediation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In the meantime, Somalia has partnered with Turkish construction firm Metag Holding to develop a port in the coastal town of Hobyo, with construction set to begin later this year.