Djibouti has offered Ethiopia full management of a port in Tadjoura, aiming to ease tensions in East Africa. Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf disclosed the proposal during the China-Africa summit and stated his country expects a favorable response from Ethiopian officials. The move is part of Djibouti’s efforts to tackle regional challenges, like the civil war in Sudan, and is targeted at defusing rising tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s attempt to acquire access to a Somaliland port has sparked a diplomatic rift with Somalia, which views Somaliland as part of its territory. Somalia declared the agreement with Somaliland null and void, before emphasizing its commitment to defending its territorial integrity by every available legal means. If Ethiopia accepts Djibouti’s offer, it will help resolve landlocked Ethiopia’s access to the sea, which has been limited since Eritrea’s secession in the 1990s.
SOURCE: BUSINESS INSIDER
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