Ethiopia and the self-declared republic of Somaliland have signed a “historic” initial agreement that will allow landlocked Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office announced Monday. The announcement was made in Addis Ababa where Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi is visiting. According to Ethiopia, Ahmed and Abdi signed the “Memorandum of Understanding,” or MoU, for the partnership in the Ethiopian capital. In return, the recording claims, Ethiopia will officially recognize Somaliland once the final deal is signed. “God willing, Ethiopia will become the first country to recognize Somaliland, and we will become the first country to allow Ethiopia a 20-km sea,” he said on the recording.

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. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously described sea access as an existential issue for his country. 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. Ethiopia lost its access to the sea when Eritrea seceded in the early 1990s.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat, who was fatally stabbed in a car in Kenya on New Year's Eve. Kiplagat, a 34-year-old athlete, was discovered dead in his brother's car on the outskirts of Eldoret. Two men were arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat, who was found fatally stabbed in a car in Kenya on New Year's Eve, police said Monday. Two-time cross country world champion Agnes Tirop was fatally stabbed in her home in the nearby town of Iten in 2021. Rwandan runner Rubayita Siragi was killed in August in what police believe was a fight with another athlete over a woman.

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.

Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi and Ethiopian National Security Advisor Redwan Hussein jointly announced the MoU at a press briefing in Addis Ababa. Hussein confirmed the agreement grants Ethiopia a 20-kilometer stretch of coastline specifically for military and commercial use, including an Ethiopian Navy base and an entry port. As part of the agreement Africa’s second most populated nation will recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, Bihi said. This deal marks a significant development in both Ethiopia's quest for maritime access and Somaliland's pursuit of international recognition and economic development. “We allowed #Ethiopia 20km of sea, and Ethiopia will be the first country to recognise #Somaliland, according to the memorandum of understanding,” said President Bihi.

Two arrests have been made by Kenyan police investigating the death of Uganda's Benjamin Kiplagat. (AP PHOTO)Two men have been arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat, who was found fatally stabbed in a car in Kenya on New Year's Eve. Kenyan-born Bahrain runner Damaris Muthee's decomposing body was found at a male Ethiopian athlete's house in 2022. The athlete is the main suspect in her death but has not been apprehended. Rwandan runner Rubayita Siragi was killed in August in what police believe was a fight with another athlete over a woman.

Felix Tshisekedi won a second term as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo in a landslide, according to provisional results of an election that opposition leaders have dismissed as a sham. The results declared by the country's electoral commission on Sunday showed that Mr Tshisekedi had won 73 per cent of the vote in the single-round presidential ballot. "I have been re-elected president of all Congolese," Mr Tshisekedi, dressed in a white shirt and cap, told cheering supporters. Mr Tshisekedi, 60, first came to power in January 2019 after a disputed election that many observers said he had lost. The US called for peaceful and transparent resolution of any election disputes after Mr Tshisekedi was declared the winner.

A knife suspected of being used in the killing of the 34-year-old was found on one of the suspects, Moiben sub county police commander Stephen Okal said. The motive for the killing appears to have been robbery, he said, because money and a mobile phone were taken. Kiplagat competed in three Olympic games and six world championships in the 3,000-metre steeplechase. Two-time cross-country world champion Agnes Tirop was fatally stabbed in her home in the nearby town of Iten in 2021. And Rwandan runner Rubayita Siragi was killed in August in what police believe was a fight with another athlete over a woman.

Landlocked Ethiopia signed an initial agreement with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland on Monday to use its Red Sea port of Berbera, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said. The Horn of Africa country currently relies on neighbouring Djibouti for most of its maritime trade. President Abdi said as part of the agreement, Ethiopia would also be the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent nation in due course. The MoU pave the way to allowing Ethiopia to have commercial marine operations in the region by giving it access to a leased military base on the Red Sea, Abiy's National Security Adviser Redwan Hussien said. Somalia's SONNA state media agency reported last week that following mediation efforts led by Djibouti, Somalia and Somaliland had agreed to resume talks aimed at resolving their disputes.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two men were arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat, who was found fatally stabbed in a car in Kenya on New Year’s Eve, police said Monday. The motive for the killing appears to have been robbery, he said, because money and a cell phone had been taken from Kiplagat. Kiplagat competed in three Olympic games and six world championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Two-time cross country world champion Agnes Tirop was fatally stabbed in her home in the nearby town of Iten in 2021. Rwandan runner Rubayita Siragi was killed in August in what police believe was a fight with another athlete over a woman.

The port of Berbera in Somaliland offers Ethiopia access to the Red Sea and further north the Suez canalAdvertising Read moreThe deal on Somaliland's Berbera port comes months after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his country, Africa's second most populous, would assert its right to access the Red Sea, sparking concerns among its neighbours. The agreement "shall pave the way to realise the aspiration of Ethiopia to secure access to the sea and diversify its access to seaport," his office posted on X. Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein said Ethiopia would have access to a leased military base on the Red Sea as part of the agreement. Regional tensionsIn a televised speech last October, Abiy had said that Ethiopia "is a nation whose existence was tied to the Red Sea" and that it needed access to a port. In 2018, Ethiopia acquired a 19 percent stake in the Berbera port, according to Dubai-based DP World, which manages the port's operations.

The ship came under attack hours after another ship was attacked off the Gujarat coast. | Image: UnspalshAdvertisementLandlocked Ethiopia signed an initial agreement with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland on Monday to use its Red Sea port of Berbera, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said. The MoU pave the way to allowing Ethiopia to have commercial marine operations in the region by giving it access to a leased military base on the Red Sea, Abiy's National Security Adviser Redwan Hussien said. Somalia says Somaliland is part of its territory. Somalia's SONNA state media agency reported last week that following mediation efforts led by Djibouti, Somalia and Somaliland had agreed to resume talks aimed at resolving their disputes.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi. Photo: PMOAddis Abeba – Ethiopia signs historic MoU with Somaliland to “secure access to the sea and diversify its access to seaports.”A a memorandum of understanding was signed between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi signed who is on a state visit to Ethiopia since Sunday. #Ethiopia– #Somaliland – President Muse Bihi Abdi in Addis Abeba for state visitSomaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi arrived in #Addis_Abeba, Ethiopia for state visit. In November, Alemu Sime said that Ethiopia was negotiating with Somaliland government to secure direct access to seaport. The official readout issued today did not specify the terms of the MoU in which Ethiopia will secure access to the Sea through Somaliland.

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NAIROBI: The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sunday visited Djibouti, which is leading regional efforts to broker a ceasefire after more than eight months of war. The Horn of Africa nation is the latest stop on Mohamed Hamdan Daglo’s first trip abroad since fighting erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese army in mid-April. His regional tour — which has also taken him to Ethiopia and Uganda — comes as diplomats scramble to broker a meeting between Daglo and his rival, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Daglo said on X, formerly Twitter, that he discussed with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh the latest developments in the war. “Next week, as chair of IGAD, Djibouti will also prepare the ground for Sudanese dialogue and will host a critical meeting,” Youssouf had said on X on Saturday, without giving further details.