MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia will not grant Ethiopia a port on its coastline but is negotiating to allow its landlocked neighbor commercial access to Somali-owned ports for trade, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Bal’ad has said.
In an interview with Universal Somali TV, Bal’ad said that the ongoing talks focus solely on enabling Ethiopia to use Somali ports for imports, similar to arrangements Uganda has with Kenyan ports. He stressed that Somalia’s territorial sovereignty remains non-negotiable.
Ethiopia will not be given a port on our coast. However, we are discussing how they can access our ports for commercial purposes to meet their import needs and serve their population, Bal’ad said.
He added that Ethiopia already uses the port of Berbera in Somaliland and is free to continue doing so. The discussions do not include granting Ethiopia access to any Somali ports along the Red Sea, he clarified.
The move appears to protect the economic interests of Djibouti, a close ally of Somalia and Ethiopia’s primary gateway for trade. Djibouti earns significant revenue from port fees, as about 90% of Ethiopia’s imports pass through its ports.
Bal’ad named Mogadishu, Garacad, Hobyo, Barawe, and Kismayo as potential ports Ethiopia could access. However, he said the final decision would depend on factors such as proximity, viability, and the ability to serve Ethiopia’s southern regions.
The talks, set to continue into June, aim to strike a balance between fostering regional trade and safeguarding Somalia’s sovereignty. Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation, has long sought direct access to the Red Sea to reduce its reliance on Djibouti.
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