Somaliland’s Top Diplomat Talks Recognition, Port Deal, and Investment

On January 1, 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) granting landlocked Ethiopia access to the sea in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland’s sovereignty. The agreement, signed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and former Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, reportedly involved a 20-kilometer coastal lease and a naval base. It sparked strong opposition from Somalia, which denounced it as a violation of its sovereignty.

Subsequent Turkish shuttle diplomacy led to the Ankara Declaration in December 2024, where Ethiopia and Somalia agreed to pursue technical talks on sea access while respecting Somalia’s territorial integrity. However, those talks yielded little progress, and Ethiopia has since explored alternative port access, including Assab in Eritrea.

As Somaliland recently celebrated its 35th Independence Day, following Israel’s recognition of its sovereignty, The Reporter’s Sisay Sahlu sat down with Abdirahman Dahir Adan Bakal, minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation under President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Cirro, to discuss Ethiopia-Somaliland relations, Somaliland’s recognition efforts, and broader regional issues. EXCERPTS:

The Reporter: What do current diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Somaliland look like?

Abdirahman Dahir Adan Bakal: Ethiopia is one of the closest friends that we have in the region. Ethiopia has always been and will always be one of the most important countries for us. Our relationship has always been good. It has not changed; it has continuously improved each day. We see our relationship with Ethiopia as very, very important and we have absolutely no problem whatsoever.

The MoU was signed under the tenure of former Somaliland President Muse Bihi. A new president, Cirro, took the helm last year. Have policies changed since?

No, there has not been any change and we are always willing to discuss with Ethiopia for anything that is of mutual interest for both countries. We understand the importance of Ethiopia having access to the sea. We understand them and they are our brothers, and if there’s any way we can help them, we are always willing.

Apart from the MoU, Ethiopia was once linked to a 19 percent stake in Somaliland’s Berbera port. Where does this stand? Are there any new developments?

The port is ready for Ethiopia to use at any time. They have not been using it to the full extent, but it’s there for them. The corridor is here. So, if Ethiopia wants to make full use of that, we have absolutely no problem and it’s ready for them.

Any new discussions about the MoU?

I can tell you that we are willing to discuss with the Ethiopian government their needs, having access to the seaport or access to the sea. We understand they have the right and we are willing to discuss with them.

Can we say is the MoU still valid, or is it already void? At the time of the signing, many Ethiopians had a positive view of the agreement. Is it still possible to be optimistic even after Turkish mediation between Ethiopia and the government of Somalia?

No, the MoU is not the only thing. Once again, I said we understand the need for Ethiopia having access to the sea and Berbera port is one of the best ports in Africa. They can utilize [Berbera] as much as they want and any other need of access to the sea.

Have there been any official visits from Ethiopia in the year since Mohamed Abdullahi Cirro was elected president?

Myself and the president both have met with Ethiopian officials. Our relationship is always good. There’s no problem between us and Ethiopia. We see them as our close allies. We see them as our brothers. Somaliland and Ethiopia; for us they are just the same, two sides of the same coin. So, we are willing to discuss anything with Ethiopia and we are willing to work together. Our relationship has always been good and still good and it’s our understanding that it will grow as well and will continue to improve.

What exactly happened to Ethiopia’s purported 19 percent stake in Berbera?

All I can tell you is that the port is huge and Ethiopia has not utilized it to the full extent, but it is there for them to utilize. But, once again, that need has to come from Ethiopia.

Is Ethiopia currently using the Berbera corridor for its international trade?

The utilization of the port, including Ethiopia and Somaliland, the capacity of that port, it’s about 20 to 30 percent. So, you understand that there’s a lot more that they can utilize.

Somaliland is a peaceful country compared to neighboring eastern Africa nations. What can we expect from Somaliland in the near future? Are there plans, perhaps, of trade or investment with Ethiopia? Anything new on the table?

Somaliland has been a reliable and the most stable partner that Ethiopia has. So, I know it’s always in the interest of both Ethiopia and Somaliland to work together.  I understand that Ethiopia might have some relationship with Somalia. We have no problem with that, but all I know is that, at the end of the day, Somaliland will always be the most reliable and the most stable partner that Ethiopia could ever have.

With regard to the recognition of Somaliland, your country wants to see something from Ethiopia. During the recent Somaliland Independence Day celebrations, you and the president mentioned your hope that Ethiopia and the UAE will be the next to recognize Somaliland, following the Israeli government decision to do the same. Can you tell us more about this?

We believe Ethiopia has always been our friend and will always be our friend and we will never push Ethiopia to recognize Somaliland. But I’m sure at some point Ethiopia will see that Somaliland is a reliable and stable partner that they will eventually recognize.

Are there Ethiopian investors in Somaliland?

Business people from Ethiopia come to Somaliland. They are very interested but, there’s no major investment at the moment. We have seen many Ethiopian individuals come here in the construction business and other businesses as well, and this tells us that they are very much interested in investing.

Are there any Ethiopian or any other foreign military forces stationed in Somaliland?

There has never been and there will never be any foreign forces. And as you know, the long border we have with Ethiopia is the safest border Ethiopia has with any of its neighboring countries. There isn’t even a Somaliland military presence at the border. There’s no Ethiopian military on our border. Our border is the most secure. There are no foreign forces on our soil.

We build this nation with rules. We started from zero the reconciliation process and established institutions, established a democracy. We have done this without the help of anyone except Ethiopia. Ethiopia has always been there for us. We could not do it without the help of Ethiopia.

People-to-people relations are at the very center of diplomacy. How do you characterize the people-to-people relations between the two nations?

Being a Somalilander and going to Ethiopia is like you going home, and vice versa. There’s no difference. We travel freely. There’s absolutely no problem. It will continue to grow. All we need is to work together more. There’s a lot that we can do for Ethiopia and there’s a lot that they can do for us. The amount of cooperation that we can do here is unlimited. It’s unlimited. At some point, we will utilize and maximize our cooperation and hopefully that will come soon.

How do Somalilanders view Ethiopians? Have you observed the public perception towards Ethiopia from Somalilanders?

Somalilanders see Ethiopians as their brothers. The same way, Ethiopians see Somalilanders as their brothers. They don’t see it as two different countries. There is mutual respect.

A year before the new president came to power, rumors suggested the new administration favored a policy change towards Ethiopia. Is it really the same policy towards Ethiopia with the current Somaliland administration?

I would like to touch on that point indeed. Because obviously every country has the right to discuss their own matters and do whatever they think is in their best interest. But here’s what we have always known: it doesn’t matter what that relationship is, but Somalia will never be and has never been a reliable and stable country. So, at some point Ethiopia will figure out that Somalia is not a reliable and stable partner. We knew that’s not going to work. But I mean we respect the Ethiopian government’s sovereign policy and their right to what they think is in their best interest. But we know the best interest is to work with Somaliland.

So, can we say your government is still looking to pursue the MoU?

Yes. What I can say is that this government is willing to discuss with Ethiopia in terms of their needs and in terms of cooperation between the two countries. We are more than happy to work together. While looking and also understanding that the Ethiopian need for access to a seaport is very important here. Somaliland is a partner that is willing to discuss with Ethiopia in anything that they need.

Following Israel’s recognition, expectations were growing that the UAE and US will be the next to do so. Some even speculate that Ethiopia will follow. Are there any ongoing discussions with governments of UN member states regarding recognition, including Ethiopia?

Ethiopia and the UAE are the closest allies to Somaliland. We also have many other friends that we work with. We are hoping that those friends will come and also recognize us, whether they recognize us now or later. Some might recognize Somaliland now, some might do it later. But for each individual country, it’s up to them to see when they think it fits. So, as I said before, Ethiopia is our closest friend and we never push them to recognize.

We will give them time and I hope Ethiopia at some point will realize that here is a peaceful, peace loving nation and reliable country that has a lot to offer by working together by collaborating together, and it can benefit both countries.

The deputy head of the Berbera Port Authority recently told The Reporter that traffic from Ethiopia has declined in light of the war in Iran. Has your government taken note of this impact?

Yes, since the war in the Middle East broke out, there has been an effect on all areas, not just Ethiopian shipments but Somaliland shipments as well. That’s the general decrease. Yes, there has been at least a roughly 40 percent decline.

How would you describe Somaliland’s current relations with Somalia, especially as they relate to regional stability?

The legal case for Somaliland is very, very obvious. It’s black and white. Anybody who wants to look at it, it’s a clear-cut. Somaliland has been an independent nation just like any other African country. After gaining independence, every African country kept the borders that the Europeans had drawn. So, Somaliland is a sovereign country with a clear border. Somaliland voluntarily united with Somalia. That union is not a constitution. There was no binding law—it was not justified and it ultimately failed. Here’s what we need to understand: Somaliland is not a secessionist. We are only claiming our independence; the sovereignty that we received in 1960 just like any other African country.

The legal case is there. Unless somebody is blind, it’s a clear case. We are not secessionists. Yes, we tried to reunite voluntarily. There was no concession, there was no constitution, there was nothing that had been ratified. That union collapsed and as you know for the past 35 years the international community and the African Union has been trying to build an effective government in Somalia. Unfortunately, the efforts failed each time. As you know there are terrorists which are a threat to all neighboring countries, including Ethiopia. There are African Union forces. There are US forces. All of this for 35 years, government after government, each time it failed and it will continue to fail.

So, it’s about time for the African Union and our neighboring countries to face the facts. The fact is do not blindside, do not ignore the most stable, peace loving and the most reliable country in the east of Africa: Somaliland. It’s time for all African countries, including East African countries, to work with Somaliland. They need Somaliland. We need them. By cooperating with Somaliland, East African countries could benefit. All of them can benefit instead of spending time and energy on failing states.

Is there any active current cooperation between Ethiopia and Somaliland?

Ethiopia is one of the best allies that we have. We could not do it alone; we could not exist without the help of Ethiopia. Ethiopia has always been there for us and they are still there for us and they will still be there for us in the future. But it’s time. It’s time to do that cooperation to the maximum level in all areas. There’s a lot of Ethiopians that can benefit by cooperation in Somaliland. We have what they need and they have what we need. So, we need to maximize that cooperation, and the best way that can happen is when Ethiopia, East African countries, and the African Union realize the facts on the ground. I don’t want to just push Ethiopia to recognize Somaliland, but all African countries and the African Union need to face the facts, the reality.

I mean I don’t know why for 35 years the African Union or this African country has not taken this case very seriously. In 2005 African Union sent a fact-finding mission to Somaliland. The report published by this mission clearly states that the Somaliland case is a reality, it’s not a secession and it’s a case that needs to be treated as such. All they need is to look. The African Union is not able to solve the issues that are facing Africa—I don’t know what they are there for. So, it’s not just one member of the African Union but the African Union as a whole that needs to move in this case. We are not simply asking to be recognized. No, we are asking them to look into this case. This is a clear case. This is black and white.

This is an African issue. We hope we would not have been going to Europe or America or other countries if African people—African Union countries—are willing to solve the African problems. This is an African problem. They need to get together and do the right thing.

What do you believe the future holds for Ethiopia and Somaliland?

My final say is that we are always there for Ethiopia. They have always been there for us and we will always be there for them.