In the wake of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ethiopia and Somaliland, people from all walks of life have been over and over again tossing around their ideas, feelings and thoughts.
It should be borne in mind that the Government Communications Service (GCS) of Ethiopia, in the recent past on the subject of the issue, said the MoU signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland includes wide scopes of cooperation in social, economic, political, and military fields. It enables Ethiopia to gain a military base and access commercial maritime services through reciprocity and a lease agreement.
The comprehensive MoU for partnership and cooperation reflects efforts made by the two parties to further strengthen their friendship and respond to the historic questions of both parties. The new agreement will facilitate a strategic partnership in a sustainable manner based on clear details and transparency.
As clearly outlined in Ethiopia’s foreign policy, Ethiopia gives priority to its neighbors. The country seeks to find solutions to its neighbors’ problems by working together.
Ethiopia and Somaliland will complete the detailed process of the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for partnership and cooperation and translate the agreement into implementation, Ambassador Redwan Hussein, Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor said.
The agreement allows Ethiopia to have a commercial port and military base in the Red Sea coastline of Somaliland.
On the subject of the issue scholars have been articulating the benefits the Horn of Africa secure out of the peace deal.
“If Ethiopia regains a sea outlet, the Red Sea region would be relatively more peaceful because of Ethiopia’s role in regional stabilization,” Mulugeta Debebe (PhD), a Political Science lecturer at Ethiopian Civil Service University said.
He emphasized that maritime security across the Red Sea requires collaboration, which Ethiopia is currently advocating for. If Ethiopia achieves its aspiration of securing a sea outlet and establishing a coastline military base, it will significantly contribute to maritime peacekeeping. Conflicts along the coastline would also be more manageable.
As a country that collaborates with global powers on peacekeeping missions, Ethiopia’s involvement in the maritime arena would mirror its existing partnerships, according to Mulugeta.
He also highlighted that Ethiopia’s history is characterized by peacekeeping rather than aggression. Therefore, its presence along the coastline would not be a destabilizing factor. He argued that fighting terrorism in the Horn of Africa (HoA) would be less fruitful without Ethiopia’s maritime presence.
Currently, Ethiopia’s peacekeeping forces are active in several hotspots in the HoA. Mulugeta suggested that Ethiopia’s role would be even more significant if it were allowed to deploy its forces at least in one coastline base. “Countries opposing Ethiopia’s aspirations should reconsider the potential for cooperation. With a population of about 120 million, Ethiopia’s lack of access to the sea could lead to internal crises that would adversely affect neighboring countries,” he warned.
Shimelis Hailu, a Political Science lecturer at Addis Ababa University, agreed, noting that the trade route from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean offers considerable economic benefits if managed properly. However, the ongoing geopolitical crisis is transforming this opportunity into a threat necessitating regional cooperation.
“The intervention of foreign forces with self-serving interests is preventing the region from recovering from conflicts. Ethiopia’s request for a sea outlet has a logical basis. The region needs not only to accommodate Ethiopia’s interest but also to form a union to combat insecurity.”
The existing conflicts are often driven by proxy wars, with non-regional actors support conflicting parties. It was also a deliberate strategy to isolate Ethiopia from the politics of Red Sea. The economic vulnerability of Red Sea countries, particularly in East Africa, also invites external intervention. Economic integration is crucial. A society integrated economically is less likely to engage in conflicts.
The agreement will in fact hasten integration of the region as well because the economic cooperation, military cooperation, socio-economic cooperation, cultural interaction among the neighboring peoples would fasten and enhance the integration of the region as well. So, the recent agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland would contribute to this very big objective.
Speaking to the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), a Political Science Scholar Prof. Biruk Hailu in the recent past stated that Ethiopia’s acquisition of a sea gate in the strategic, yet volatile region is of great significance to the area’s maritime security and repulsing criminal activities.
As to him, the security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden will be more guaranteed if Ethiopia has direct access to a seaport and can participate well in maritime issues. Besides, the seaport plays a critical role in intensifying its commercial activities and deploying the naval forces. Therefore, Ethiopia’s aspiration to direct access to port is justifiable and reasonable on legal, moral and other grounds.
Taking its large population and economic prowess into account, Ethiopia has been suffering a lot in the past 30 and plus years due to the absences of direct access to seaport and the loss has also had a lasting impact on its security and the public wellbeing.
Ethiopia’s acquisition of a seaport from Somaliland comes based on two sides’ interests and a win-win approach, not by any pressure or coercion.
Haramaya University Assistant Professor of Economics, Habtamu Legese little while back told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that pursuing a win-win approach enables Ethiopia accessing seaport which is crucial to achieve rapid development via facilitating trade activity maintaining trade balance as well as attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
He, moreover, noted that the country has been spending about two billion USD annually for port rent fees which could have subsidized the economy. As to him, 71% of the world’s trade is done via water transport as it reduces cost of transportation.
Citing a 2014 UN study, Habtamu stated that landlocked countries spend an average of 3,204 USD for export transaction compared to those who expend only 1,268 USD for having seaport access.
Likewise, he pointed out that the landlocked states that import products spend 3,884 USD for one container whereas nation with sea access spend only 1,443 USD.
Thus, absence of seaport creates bottleneck on the landlocked nations that decreases FDI, hinder their competitiveness and affect trade balance, that’s why Ethiopia needs to apply a wise approach to find access to seaport to overcome these challenges, according to the economist.
Civil Society Organizations Authority said it is working on raising public awareness about the significance of seaport for economic and societal development.
Authority Chief of Staff Befikadu Woldesenbet recently told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the authority is clarifying the public on the importance of accessing seaport to realize economic and societal development.
Since civil society organizations have a strong relationship with the community, they are working to explain citizens from all walks of life about the importance of seaport to create better understanding in that regard, he noted.
He stated that the civil society organizations are expected to discharge their responsibility of clarifying the importance of accessing seaport for economic and societal development.
Scholars attested that the attempts underway to realize the Ethio-Somaliland MoU need to be strengthened as the issue of securing outlet to the sea has legal basis.
The memorandum of understanding signed with Somaliland is based on the principles of mutual development and give and take that are based on international law, according to information obtained from local media.
A university lecturer, Adane Korbo, said the issue of Ethiopia’s quest for access to the sea and ports should in no way be contested.
Using every peaceful and feasible opportunity to ensure national development is an appropriate decision that provides better future for the upcoming generation, he added.
Although the sea port is outside the country, such a demand has legal basis that is supported by international law, according to Adane. Using natural resources outside of one’s territory is a common practice and Ethiopia can follow as there is no law that prohibits using port facilities based on the principle of give and take and without harming the interest of the concerned countries, he elaborated.
As Ethiopia is striving to Access Sea and ports in a peaceful manner through mutual agreements, all countries that have coastline need to allow it to access these based on mutual benefits.
By the same token, a lecture of economics at the same university, Yishaq Negussie said that using such resources is part of a business law, provided that it is based on mutual understanding. He noted that it is better to work on exploiting such an opportunity instead of setting the issue for creating an undesirable agenda.
Somaliland will have access to economic gains from Ethiopia by offering Ethiopia access to the sea, and Ethiopia will benefit from port development in the territory of Somaliland.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 21 JULY 2024
