Ethiopia has announced that it has signed a deal to secure access to the Gulf of Aden through the Port of Berbera, which is controlled by the globally unrecognised breakaway country of Somaliland.
Somalia has expressed surprise at the decision and has recalled its ambassador from Addis Abeba, the capital of its landlocked neighbour, vowing to defend its territory by all legal means.
The Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu declared the maritime access agreement an act of “aggression”.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and is run by the government of Muse Bihi Abdi, whose Kulmiye – Peace, Unity and Development – has overseen the privatisation of the Port of Berbera.
Somaliland’s capital city and its natural harbour, which opened for commercial use in 1969, is today operated by Emirati logistics multinational DP World and the Berbera Port Authority.
It has five berths, a draft of 17 meters and is regarded by many as the most important competitor to the Port of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa region.
