Tuesday October 1, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) – Ethiopia has not yet responded to a proposal from Djibouti that could ease a long-standing diplomatic dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia, Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf confirmed.
Speaking in an interview with VOA, Youssouf revealed that Djibouti is still waiting for Ethiopia's decision regarding the use and management of the Tojorah port, located in Djibouti's northern region.
Djibouti proposed the port as an alternative sea access for Ethiopia, which is landlocked and reliant on neighbouring countries for trade routes.
"The proposal remains on the table. We aim to reduce tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia by offering a northern port to Ethiopia for commercial use," Youssouf said. He added that, if accepted, the agreement could lead to joint ventures that boost both nations' economies.
Somalia has also expressed willingness to allow Ethiopia commercial access to its waters but has ruled out any military presence. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Ethiopia's access should mirror neighboring landlocked countries' arrangements with coastal states, such as Uganda's access to Kenyan waters or Rwanda's access to Tanzania.
"If Ethiopia wants commercial access, we are open to that. But there will be no naval base," Mohamud emphasized.
Djibouti submitted the port proposal in July 2024, but Ethiopian officials have not responded formally. Djibouti, a strategic Horn of Africa nation, hosts military bases for multiple global powers, including the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and China, and serves as a key maritime hub in the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden corridor, an area vulnerable to security threats from militants, piracy, and Houthis.
Diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Somalia have been particularly strained since January 2024, when Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, offering Ethiopia sea access and a military base in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland's independence. This agreement has exacerbated tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, with Somalia objecting to the deal.