Reuters published on 7 January 2024 an article titled "Somalia President Signs Law Nullifying Ethiopia-Somaliland Port Deal" by Abdi Sheikh.
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a law nullifying a memorandum of understanding between Somaliland and Ethiopia to grant access to the Gulf of Aden and to lease land for a coastal military base in return for recognition of Somaliland as an independent nation. There was no immediate response from Ethiopia or Somaliland.
Comment: The legal implications of this nullification are not clear. On the one hand, Somaliland does not have international recognition. On the other hand, Somalia does not exercise physical control over Somaliland. This may be an issue for international lawyers.
The media consistently refer to this memorandum of understanding as providing Ethiopian access to the Red Sea without seeming to appreciate that the coast of Somaliland is on the Gulf of Aden. Of course, access to the Gulf of Aden will also permit access to the Red Sea, but Ethiopia's goal is not just access to the Red Sea but to cease being the world's most populous landlocked nation. Access to Somaliland's Berbera port and the Gulf of Aden would give Ethiopia access to the entire Indian Ocean and beyond.
