Ethiopia's leasing of land to have a corridor to the Red Sea would provide "freedom of navigation" in the waterway where Houthi attacks disrupt international shipping, the President of the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, told the Western media.
The agreement with Ethiopia includes the construction of a new port in the city of Berbera and the stationing of a navy there to fend off emerging threats, he said.
“Ethiopia will build a naval military base and have commercial ships, and in exchange, Ethiopia will give us recognition — that’s the basics,” Bihi Abdi explained, adding that the maritime access agreement between the countries will provide a "clear pathway" to international acceptance.
In addition, international recognition is a significant turning point for the economy, as Somaliland has secured a $300 million investment from the Emirati logistics company to develop the port and economic zone of Berbera to make it a regional trade hub, the president emphasized.
In 2024, when the agreement was signed between Somaliland's president and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Somali authorities pledged to challenge the agreement, claiming that it violated the country's sovereignty.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned that Mogadishu was ready to retaliate against Addis Ababa over the deal. In addition, the Ethiopian envoy to the country was expelled, and Ethiopian consulates were closed.
The goal of the agreement with Somaliland is to enable Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa, which is landlocked and unable to access the Red Sea, to play a significant role in maintaining regional peace and security, as the Ethiopian government has previously stated.
The government stated at the end of January that the goal of its MoU with Somaliland is to foster regional cooperation and partnership, stressing that this does not entail "annexation" or "assumption of sovereignty over the territory of any state."