TheSomaliDiary

Ethiopia and Somaliland sign deal to boost sea access and regional integration Ethiopia, a landlocked country with more than 100 million people, has taken a major step towards gaining access to the sea by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Somaliland, a self-declared republic that seceded from Somalia more than 30 years ago. The MoU, signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi in Addis Ababa on 1 January 2024, grants Ethiopia naval and commercial access to ports along Somaliland’s coast, especially the strategic port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden. In exchange, Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland’s independence, a significant move given Somaliland’s three-decade quest for international recognition. The deal, which was described as “historic” by both leaders, is expected to boost trade, security, and regional integration in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia, which lost its access to the sea when Eritrea seceded in the early 1990s, has be