The deal will pave the way in which for the landlocked nation to make use of the port of Berbera.

Landlocked Ethiopia has signed an preliminary settlement with Somalia’s breakaway area of Somaliland to make use of its Purple Sea port of Berbera, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s workplace says.

The Horn of Africa nation at the moment depends on neighbouring Djibouti for many of its maritime commerce.

Ethiopia was minimize off from the coast after Eritrea broke away from Addis Ababa and formally declared independence in 1993 following a three-decade conflict.

“This has been now agreed with our Somaliland brothers and an MoU [memorandum of understanding] has been signed right this moment,” Abiy mentioned on Monday on the signing ceremony with Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi within the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Abiy’s workplace described the deal as “historic”, including that it “shall pave the way in which to understand the aspiration of Ethiopia to safe entry to the ocean and diversify its entry to seaport”.

“It additionally strengthens their safety, financial and political partnership,” the prime minister’s workplace wrote in a put up on X.

Prime Minister @AbiyAhmedAli and the President of Somaliland Muse Bihe Abdi have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding in Addis Ababa.#PMOEthiopia pic.twitter.com/6lPlCoepGr

— Workplace of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) January 1, 2024

The deal comes months after Abiy mentioned the nation ought to assert its proper to entry the Purple Sea, rousing regional considerations.

Abdi mentioned that as a part of the settlement, Ethiopia could be the primary nation to recognise Somaliland as an impartial nation in the end.

The settlement paves the way in which to permit Ethiopia to have industrial marine operations within the area by giving it entry to a leased navy base on the Purple Sea, Abiy’s nationwide safety adviser, Redwan Hussien, mentioned

Somaliland would additionally obtain a stake in state-owned Ethiopian Airways, Hussien mentioned, with out offering particulars.

Somaliland has not gained widespread worldwide recognition regardless of declaring autonomy from Somalia in 1991. Somalia says Somaliland is a part of its territory.

Somalia’s SONNA state media company reported final week that after mediation efforts led by Djibouti, Somalia and Somaliland had agreed to renew talks geared toward resolving their disputes.