Djibouti pens proposal on resolving Somalia-Ethiopia tensions

NAIROBI, Kenya - The government of Djibouti has reportedly penned a proposal geared towards resolving tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, which have diminished integration within the Horn of Africa region for the last seven months.

Mohamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti's Foreign Affairs minister, says the proposals are ready and could be tabled soon after mediation between the two countries, brokered by Turkey, failed to yield substantive agreement on the cooperation.

Ali told the BBC his country is proposing giving Ethiopia access to the sea and, “a hundred percent port management,” and a new corridor that is already built. He said it would be the port of Tadjoura, 100 km from the border with Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has been using the Ports of Djibouti, Lamu, and Sudan for exports and imports but it maintains the costs have been expensive, thus seeking alternatives, including having exclusive access to the sea.

In light of these disadvantages, Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland, which gives it 20 kilometers of the Red Sea for the construction of a military base and port, in exchange for recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state.

So unpopular was the agreement that Somalia accused Ethiopia of infringement of territorial integrity and sovereignty. The two nations have been at loggerheads in recent months, leading to the cutting of diplomatic ties.

So the access to the sea for Ethiopia will not be a problem, he said. Youssouf is running for the African Union Commission Chairperson seat and will face Kenya's Raila Odinga and other candidates from the southern regions of Africa.

Youssouf said President Ismail Omar Guelleh will have a chance to discuss the proposal with the leaders from the two countries during the Summit for China and African leaders next week, which both countries have confirmed attendance.

Turkey hosted delegations from Ethiopia and Somalia twice in the last two months but no amicable solution was reached. Somalia has already called for the exclusion of Ethiopia from the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), opting to have Egypt as the head of the mission.

GAROWE ONLINE