Ethiopia and Somaliland, which has declared itself an independent republic, signed a preliminary agreement that would allow the landlocked country of Ethiopia to use one of Somaliland's Red Sea ports, says BBC.
The agreement is not yet legally binding, but it is the first step towards Ethiopia's maritime connection. According to the agreement, Ethiopia would have access to the port of Berbera in Somaliland. The details of the agreement are not yet public, but the press release called it a victory for diplomacy and a historic event.
Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed said in October that Ethiopia's connection to the Red Sea is a matter of destiny for the country. The statement caused a political uproar in the countries of the Horn of Africa. At the time, the Prime Minister's statement was interpreted as Ethiopia intending to seize territories from Eritrea. Ethiopian officials dismissed these concerns.
to Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdin according to the agreement, it would also have been agreed that over time Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
Somaliland is an administrative region in Somalia that has declared itself an independent republic. Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, but internationally it is still considered part of Somalia. The UN and the African Union do not recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
Somalia's government has yet to say anything about the Ethiopia-Somaliland deal, but it held an emergency session on Monday.
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