The Ethiopia-Somaliland deal aggravates regional tensionsTalmiz AhmadEthiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdi at the signing of the agreement. Through the agreement, Ethiopia would replace Djibouti as Somaliland’s principal trading outlet, an arrangement that was worth $1.5 billion a year to Djibouti in port fees, and loss of this income will deal a body-blow to the country. Ethiopia has also announced it is developing a navy that would be based on the Red Sea coast. But Prime Minister Ahmed faces numerous challenges. Taking all of this together, therefore, Ethiopia’s agreement with Somaliland threatens to ignite the embers of wider regional conflict.

Source: Ethiopian News February 03, 2024 18:38 UTC