ETHIOPIA has taken the first legal steps on a path that could one day enable the landlocked country to gain access to the sea, its government says.
It has signed what is known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the self-declared republic of Somaliland to use one of its ports.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously described sea access as an existential issue for his country.
His statement in October prompted tensions across the Horn of Africa.
There were some fears, quickly dampened by the authorities, that this implied trying to take land from another of Ethiopia’s neighbours, Eritrea.
The details of Monday’s agreement with Somaliland have not been made public but a statement from Mr Abiy’s office said it would “pave the way to realise the aspiration of Ethiopia to secure access to the sea”. Talks leading up to the MoU have focused on the Somaliland port of Berbera.
Mr Abiy’s national security adviser, Redwan Hussien, also said on X that the arrangement could also enable Ethiopia to access a “leased military base” on the sea.
An MoU is not legally binding but can lead to a treaty imposing obligations on those parties who have signed.
Nevertheless, the development is being portrayed by Addis Ababa as a major diplomatic victory.
The prime minister, who signed the MoU with Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi in the Ethiopian capital, wrote on X that “all that can be said is thank God”.
