insert_link Africa Somaliland-Ethiopia port deal: international opposition flags complex Red Sea politics By Jutta Bakonyi, Durham University The memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland announced on 1 January 2024 set off diplomatic rows in the Horn of Africa – and beyond. Details of the agreement are not publicly known, but both state leaders have touched on its content. Among the main elements: Ethiopia gets a 50-year lease on a strip of land on Somaliland’s Red Sea coast for naval […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 18
insert_link Africa AU urges restraint in Somalia-Ethiopia tensions The African Union on Wednesday called on Ethiopia and Somalia to exercise restraint and take steps to de-escalate the current tensions amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Xinhua news agency reports that tensions continue to mount in relations between Ethiopia and Somalia after Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared region of Somalia, signed an agreement earlier this month, allowing Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 21
insert_link Namibia Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea: success rests on good relations with its neighbours By Bizuneh Yimenu, University of Birmingham and Robert McCabe, Coventry University On 1 January, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding granting Addis Ababa direct access to the Gulf of Aden. This strategic agreement paves the way for Ethiopia to establish commercial and military bases along the coast. Under the agreement, Somaliland will lease 20km of coastal land to Ethiopia for 50 years. Ethiopia commits to offering Somaliland […] todayJanuary 12, 2024 6