Maina wa Njuguna
Africa is currently reeling with at least 35 armed conflicts from the Sahel region in West Africa to Cabo Delgado in Mozambique, from the deadly civil war in Sudan that has displaced over 12 million people and killed about 15,000 Sudanese to DR Congo with multiple conflict fronts with Rwanda, the M23 rebels in North Kivu province and the violence in east and western provinces.
Egypt sensing an opportunity confront its longtime foe Ethiopia has deployed troops and weapons to Somalia upping up the possibilities of war in the horn of Africa.
Egypt has harbored a grudge with Ethiopia especially over the construction and completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest dam in Africa with a capacity of 74 billion m³ and potentially the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa, and top 20 in the world.
Egypt has been opposed to anything that would compromise the flow of waters from the Nile, and consider it an existential threat to its survival.
On the other hand, Ethiopia asserts its right to utilize her natural resources to provide necessitous regional energy and economic prospects.
THE ETHIOPIA AND SOMALILAND DEAL
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi signed a MoU on January 1st, 2024 that Somaliland would lease 19 kilometres (12 miles) of its Red Sea coastline to Ethiopia around the port city of Berbera.
Image: /Wikipedia/
Somaliland is a break away territory that declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the overthrow of Siad Barre. It has never been recognized as an independent country but with this memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ethiopia, it would get that recognition in its long quest for sovereignty.
According to MoU, Somaliland would lease about 19 kilometres of sea access around the port city of Berbera for 50 years to the Ethiopian navy.
This sparked immediate protest from Somalia which immediately recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia. Egypt was quick to condemn the deal and came to the aid of Somalia to safeguard its territorial integrity.
It is through this guise that Egypt has now began sending its warfare personnel and machinery to the horn of Africa as a pretext of safeguarding its aly Somalia and by extension, Egypt’s interests.
Khaled Mahmoued, an Egyptian journalist, said, “All options are on the table for Egypt in dealing with Ethiopia,” adding that, “The transition from diplomatic to military tools could mean that Egypt might be forced to resort to military action due to Ethiopia’s intransigence.” Khaled emphasised: “Egypt’s message to the UN Security Council reflects a shift from a strategy of containing Ethiopia to a phase of applying pressure before moving to deterrence.”
DESCALATION OF TENSIONS
Djibouti’s foreign minister and African Union Commission Chair candidate Mahamoud Ali Youssouf has offered Ethiopia more access to his country’s ports to meet its economic activities. In fact, Djibouti has now offered 100% to one of its ports.
“Djibouti is even ready to hand over a new port, a brand-new port that has been built, a brand-new corridor to the northern border of Djibouti, that corridor will be very helpful to Ethiopia, at least to decrease the cost of transport,” said the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti Foreign Affairs Minister
Djibouti’s offer to Ethiopia does not include a naval military basis. The country hosts several major military bases – China, Italy, Japan, France, and United States. According to Mr. Youssouf, reconciling the two countries is it driving impetus and the stability in the region.
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