MOGADISHU - Ethiopia's quest to have negotiations over access to the Red Sea suffered a huge blow on Wednesday, with the Federal Republic of Somalia dismissing the move, noting that it is "not interested" in granting access to strategic assets like the port.
Being a landlocked country, Ethiopia has struggled to export and import goods from overseas, forcing it to entirely depend on the Port of Djibouti and the newly constructed Port of Berbera in Somalia. The cost of importation directly affects the country's economy.
Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed Ali was quoted as saying his country had “natural rights” to directly access the Red Sea, and if it was denied this “there will be no fairness and justice and if there is no fairness and justice, it’s a matter of time, we will fight.”
The Prime Minister suggested his government could grant shares in its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in return for similar stakes in ports in neighboring countries. The dam, once fully operationalized, would serve neighboring states with uninterrupted power.
