Kenya proposes maritime treaty to defuse Ethiopia-Somalia tensions

William Ruto, right, and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrive for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) 42nd Extraordinary Session, Entebbe, Uganda, Jan. 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Short Url
  • Treaty Kenya is proposing in consultation with Djibouti and regional bloc IGAD would govern how landlocked states in the region can access ports on commercial terms
  • Somalia鈥檚 President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a meeting with his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto in the Kenyan capital as part of efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the dispute

NAIROBI: Kenya has proposed a regional maritime treaty to defuse tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia over a deal allowing Ethiopia to set up a naval base and giving it port access in Somalia鈥檚 breakaway region of Somaliland, a top Kenyan official said on Thursday.
Landlocked Ethiopia agreed on Jan. 1 to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline in Somaliland, a part of Somalia which claims independence and has had effective autonomy since 1991, offering possible recognition of Somaliland in exchange.
That prompted a defiant response from Somalia and fueled concern the deal could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region.
The treaty Kenya is proposing in consultation with Djibouti and regional bloc IGAD would govern how landlocked states in the region can access ports on commercial terms, Korir Sing鈥檕ei, Kenya鈥檚 principal secretary for foreign affairs, told Reuters.
鈥淚GAD can be able to formulate a treaty for sharing maritime resources,鈥� he said, referring to the bloc which brings together countries in the region.
On Thursday Somalia鈥檚 President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a meeting with his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto in the Kenyan capital as part of efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the dispute.
鈥淲e continue to engage with all the parties with a view to ensuring that at the end of the day the region is left all stable,鈥� Sing鈥檕ei said.
If accepted, Nairobi鈥檚 solution would offer Ethiopia 鈥渟table and predictable access to maritime resources鈥� so it can carry out its business unhindered, while also respecting Somalia鈥檚 territorial integrity, he added.
Somalia and Ethiopia are considering the proposal, he said, and their leaders have been asked to consider meeting to take the process forward.
Sing鈥檕ei said time was of the essence since Al-Shabab militants in Somalia were using the dispute to portray the government in Mogadishu as being unable to protect Somalia鈥檚 sovereignty.